Wild Alaska Scallops, Ikura, Ginger Lime Sauce
Today’s Plat du Jour, Wild Alaskan Scallops, Ikura, Ginger Lime Sauce.
Did you know that upon its sale any wild fish caught in Alaska is specified as ‘Wild Alaska? or ‘Wild Alaskan’ or ‘Alaska’ seafood or fish? The particular designation not only identifies your fish quality and nutrition, but also species sustainability. Wild Alaskan Seafood is very strictly monitored on a daily basis throughout its catching season to avoid over-fishing, insuring healthy supplies of these essential foods in the future.
Cured in a light salt brine, the Alaska Salmon Ikura, (Keta Ikura) salmon roe eggs were offered for the first time this year through Wild for Salmon, our area supplier of wild Alaskan seafood.
I was quite excited to give these salty, tiny orange, glistening balls a try while imagining a lovely color burst topping the creamy white scallops seared with crusty browned outer sides, finished then with the tart buttery flavor of ginger lime sauce.
Despite that you can put this dish together in less than an hour, sharing it with you actually turned out to be quite a journey.
Initially having the Wild Alaskan Scallops in my freezer, once I read the Wild for Salmon newsletter sharing the news they were offering Ikura I just knew I had to share this with you in combination with those scallops.
It just so happened that the timing surrounded one of those busy times of year when I just couldn’t make it out to the area Farmer’s Market to get it.
Following the holiday season when many Farmer’s Markets take a couple weeks break (I failed to read the email bulletin and one day showed up to an empty lot.) No problem. I figured the area Kimberton Whole Foods might carry the Ikura. No luck there.
The following week (obviously failing to note the Wild for Salmon dates) I again showed up at the Farmer’s Market to no Wild for Salmon for the week.
At that juncture I was ready to take a ride out to the actual shop in Bloomsburg and when I couldn’t fit that into the schedule, decided to just wait for The Philly Farm and Food Fest.
Due to the huge popularity of the Ikura guess what they were not selling at the Wild for Salmon booth on that day? You guessed it, Ikura.
The friendly folks at the booth graciously shared I could just drop an email and they would send it along to the areas Farmers Market for me.
If you don’t live in the area, Wild for Salmon does deliver at a standard shipping price for fish, but, when you live in the area, and generally have easy access to what you need, well, you get my drift.
In the end, thanks to the folks at Wild for Salmon, I literally may even may have procured their very last can available for the year, thus insuring that I may finally share with you this special dish today!
Thinking of the journey it took to share with you today’s Wild Alaskan Scallops, Ikura, Ginger Lime Sauce also had me reminiscing on an earlier shared post on Wild for Salmon that I shared in the early beginnings of this blog.
This post includes some of the earlier photos shared.
And Thai Style Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon is the dish I prepared for the August 1, 2012 post on Wild for Salmon.
This year marks the Kurian’s Wild for Salmon 10th anniversary.
Jenn and Steve now also have a daughter whose namesake is on their newest fishing vessel, Ava Jane.
According to their newsletter Captain Steve Kurian just left to set up in Bristol Bay over this past week, readying up the vessel, and coordinating the details involved just before the rigorous hard work of the daily fishing runs begin.
Wild for Salmon’s 10th anniversary looks to mark as another ‘wildly’ successful one for according to the recent Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Bristol Bay’s nine river systems look toward this season as a historic sockeye salmon run not seen since 1995.
It’s been fun watching the growth of Wild for Salmon over these past year’s and also quite delicious, for their fish selections have expanded to also include Wild Alaskan scallops, halibut, black cod, rockfish, ling cod, Dungeness and Snow Crabs plus more.
With one treasured whole Alaska sockeye salmon filet, and one black cod remaining in my freezer I’ll shortly make a go on a couple of other recipes enjoying these final quality seafood ingredients.
At summers end, begins the newly abundant availability and a whole new seasonal fresh catch of Alaska Seafood and I cannot wait, for I’m always Wild for Salmon.
Wild for Salmon Wild Alaska Scallops, Ikura, Ginger Lime Sauce
Ingredients
- Ginger Lime Sauce:
- 1 generous tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled, chopped
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 limes, juiced, strained
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 2 teaspoons half and half
- 1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into bits and kept refrigerated until sauce preparation
- pinch coarse kosher salt, more to taste
- pinch cracked black or white pepper
- For the Scallops:
- 6 tablespoons clarified butter
- 20-25 Wild Alaskan Scallops, approximately 4 to 5 per person
- coarse kosher salt
- cracked black pepper
- For the Assembly:
- 4 scallions, sauteed in butter, sprinkled with salt and pepper, set aside
- 2 tablespoons Wild Alaskan Ikura, salmon eggs
- handful snipped fresh chives
- rind of one lime
Instructions
- Preparing the Ginger Lime Sauce: In a nonreactive saucepan add the chopped ginger, shallots, lime juice, and white wine, cook on medium high heat until reduced to around a quarter cup, turn off heat, remove pan from burner. Vigorously whisk in the half and half until just incorporated then immediately whisk in a couple bits of the butter until smooth. Return pan to burner and on the lowest heat whisk in the remaining butter bits. Sprinkle in salt and pepper, whisk, check seasoning, adjust to taste
- Preparing the Wild Alaskan Scallops, Ikura, Ginger Lime Sauce: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dry each scallop carefully using paper toweling then set on top of the parchment paper, sprinkle with salt and pepper
- Heat a nonstick saute pan on medium heat. When pan is very hot, ladle in half of the clarified butter. Set enough scallops in the pan so they are not touching. Sear scallops for around two to three minutes until golden brown, turn over and cook the other side until golden, transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Wipe out pan, ladle in remaining clarified butter, and cook the rest of the scallops, searing until golden brown on both sides then transferring to the paper towel lined plate
- Assembling the Dish: Spoon Lime Ginger Sauce around each plate, evenly place the warm cooked scallions in the center then arrange the cooked scallops around. Using a baby size spoon, top each scallop with a small dab of Ikura. Sprinkle over the fresh snipped chives and lime rind
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