Then, there’s the dish that I want to create especially for you. Something you’ve never had, and something I’ve never made. If you come to our house for your birthday, be forewarned that this special meal is much more about
me than it is about
you. As long as you’re good with that, you’ll have a great dinner!
For his birthday, Mark's friend Marylou gifted him two beautiful Limoges plates from the design by Claude Monet. It is one of our favorite china patterns, and it inspired this special meal.
The sumptuous blue and yellow called out for something hot pink. That was easy – beets! One problem, though. Mark does not like beets. (
Why would I eat something that tastes like dirt? he might ask...) This presented me with a challenge: to make something with beets that he will eat, and perhaps even ask for again.
Beet pasta seemed to be the logical choice; the challenge was to make a sauce that didn’t hide its gorgeous color.
I ended up with a citrus-ginger butter sauce and seared scallops on top of the pasta. As you can see, it’s a beautiful presentation. The chives on top add just a bit of green for one more color.
Feel free to make this using purchased pasta, or any color you can find. The sauce is wonderful regardless of the color of pasta.
Happy Birthday, Markipedia!
~ David
Beet Pasta with Citrus-Ginger Butter and Seared Scallops
1/2 cup well-cooked beets, puréed
3 eggs
3 to 3 1/2 cups type “00” flour, or all purpose flour
juice of 2 oranges
juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1 cup white wine
a 2-inch piece of ginger thinly sliced
1 large shallot, minced
1 chiltepin, or a pinch of red pepper flakes
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sugar
a 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated
16-20 large sea scallops, tough muscle removed
3-4 tablespoons flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
butter, for searing
freshly chopped chives, for serving
Note: Usually, when I make fresh pasta, I make it directly on my wooden countertops. Because the beets will stain everything, I made this in a large, wide, shallow stainless steel bowl.
Mix the puréed beets and eggs well in a small bowl. Place the flour in a large, wide, shallow bowl and make a well. Add the beat and egg purée to the well and, using a fork, stir the beet mixture around the perimeter so that it takes on some flour with each rotation. When it becomes too stiff to use the fork, use your hands and pull it together to make a firm, but pliant, dough. Knead it several times adding more flour as necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
Cutting, rolling, and slicing the pasta. Divide the dough in half; wrap one half and put it into the refrigerator for another use. (This recipe makes enough dough for 8 servings.) Divide the other half into thirds and, one at a time, dust and knead them in flour, then send them through the pasta machine rollers. Because this dough is particularly moist, you will need to dust it often with flour. I started at the 1st notch and went to the 5th. Lay out the slabs and cut them into shorter lengths - about 8-10 inches. Place them on a sheet of parchment. Repeat with remaining two pieces of dough.
Change to the fettuccine roller and put each slab though. Gather the noodles and dust with flour and set aside on the parchment. Repeat for all slabs. If you don’t have the fettuccine roller, you can hand slice your noodles. Let the noodles sit while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
Place orange juice, Meyer lemon juice, wine, ginger, shallot, and chile in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, but keep sauce boiling till reduced to a syrup - about 2-3 tablespoons. This will take 5-10 minutes. Strain the syrup into a clean skillet (large enough to hold the pasta) and, over low heat, whisk in 4 tablespoons chilled butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to emulsify. Season with the sugar and grated ginger, and set aside.
Dry the scallops. Place flour on a small plate and season with salt and pepper; mix with a fork. Return the citrus-ginger sauce to low heat and add the remaining butter.
When the water is boiling, heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter. When it is melted - just before it takes on color - dip the top of each scallop into the flour and place it floured-side down into the sizzling butter. When all scallops are in the pan, season the un-floured side with salt and pepper.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over.
When the scallops are nicely brown on the bottom, turn them.
Whisk the citrus-ginger sauce.
When pasta is done, drain and add pasta to the skillet with the citrus-ginger sauce. Toss to coat.
Divide pasta among four warmed plates and top each serving with 4 or 5 scallops (which should just be done) and a sprinkle of freshly chopped chives.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Notes:
- The timing is based on very fresh pasta which cooks in 2-3 minutes. If using store bought fresh pasta or dried pasta, you will have to adjust the timing, and start cooking your pasta earlier.
- Many stores now carry pre-cooked beets. This is perfect for the recipe. I have not tried it with canned beets, though I can’t see a down side other than loss of flavor.
- If you do not like scallops, try this with shrimp, or simply serve with the citrus-ginger sauce for a vegetarian version.
