SCALLOPS, CHICKEN, LENTILS - A BLOCK ISLAND SAMPLER

So during our magical Block Island weeks we sometimes eat dinner in this funny little hole in the backyard with a picnic table ensconced in it - feels like sitting in a rowboat in the middle of a meadow - and we stay out as it gets dark and we can hardly see our food and then watch the procession of Limpy Duck and his ducky pals who form a waddling parade around and around like something out of a fairy tale. (I am romanticizing. Do not ask about subsequent maltreatment of Limpy by his brother ducks.)  But here are some items from those crepuscular dinners:

SCALLOPS

• 1 lb. sea scallops ( for 3 good eaters or 4 modest ones, if there are other things, too) (can be multiplied along with everything else)
• 1TB butter (for the end)
• Glug of olive oil and 2 more TB butter (for the beginning)
• flour for dusting
• juice and grated rind of one lemon
• 2/3 cp white wine
• some fresh herbs

Wash and dry the scallops with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper (I may also have added some grated lemon rind.)

Did we have this with rice?  Whatever starch you might use (could be nice boiled potatoes, noodles, etc.) you will want to have it almost ready when you start.  There should be some sauce, so it would be nice to have something to pour it over.

Heat olive oil and butter until quite hot in a big nonstick or cast iron pan.  Sprinkle a little flour on the scallops and throw them into the hot oil, they should fit into the pan with some space between them - if not, do them in 2 batches.  Let them cook until golden on one side and then turn them over and cook on the other - just until done, maybe 2 minutes a side?  Depends on how big they are - they need to bounce back when you press them and not be squishy.
When they are done, remove them to a warm place (oven on very low) and, into the pan where they were cooking, toss: 1. the wine 2. the lemon juice and 3. a minute later, the butter and 4. any juice that has just in the last few minutes accumulated around the scallops.  Let boil another minute (should cook down somewhat), and add the scallops and the herbs.  Voila!



CUBAN CITRUS CHICKEN
(serves 4 if only 2 have seconds)

• One chicken - cut into 6 pieces, skin removed
• chopped garlic, cumin, salt, pepper - amount really a matter of taste
• 1 cp. orange juice (best if fresh but not necessary)
• 1/4 cp. dry sherry
• Juice of one lemon and one lime
• glug of olive oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• chopped parsley or cilantro

Rub the chicken pieces with chopped garlic, cumin, and salt/pepper and let sit for about an hour in the refrigerator. Combine the orange juice, dry sherry, lemon juice and lime juice.

In a large wide saucepan that has a cover, saute the chopped onion in olive oil until soft.  Then brown the chicken pieces somewhat in the pan. Pour the citrus juice mixture over the chicken, simmer nicely on the stove for a few minutes, cover, and turn down to a low simmer for about 45 minutes or until very well done. (You can also do this in the oven at 350 if the pan is ovenproof.)

Now, pour or ladle or strain all the cooking liquid from that into another pan on the stove - it will be kind of thin - and boil it down until it's a bit syrupy but there's still plenty of it - about 15 minutes?  (Also watch this - it's too sad if it all boils away!  I've done that.)  Keep the chicken warm - and you can transfer it to a platter if you want it to look nice. When the sauce is thicker and tastier, pour it over the chicken - also the chopped parsley or cilantro.


LENTILS - JUST LENTILS

• 2 cps. brown lentils (not the french kind)
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 stalks of celery peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 cp. chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
• 1/4 cp. dry white wine (Julia Child says use French dry vermouth, which you can keep in the cupboard indefinitely, so I do.)
• Spices/herbs - your pick - smoked paprika, cumin, curry powder, thyme, etc. - though make sure they go together
• Other optional flavor enhancers - ham hock, diced ham, spanish chorizo...
• chopped parsley

Pick over and wash the lentils.  In a large saucepan with a lid, saute:  chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until soft.  Add some canned or fresh chopped tomatoes and maybe some white wine and saute a bit more.  Here's where you could add some of those spices/herbs/flavor enhancers if you want to.  Stir around a bit more.

Now add the lentils (no salt yet!) and cover with water to about an inch above the lentils. Bring to a boil, and simmer partially covered for about 1/2 hour.  Taste to see if the lentils are almost done - if so, season with salt and pepper and cook until they're soft but not mushy (unless you like them that way, which I do sometimes.)  At the end, add more salt if needed, and a bit of olive oil and some chopped parsley.