Anticiplate

This is the first meal I have cooked since working at The Restaurant, and this is by far the best meal I have ever made. Hands down.

Maybe it is the Mise en Place so carefully prepared with white ramekins, a sharp mandoline, and newly developed knife skills? Maybe it is the homemade gnocchi I prepared yesterday? Maybe it is the hours, and hours, of training that have been grilled into me recently from my internship? No matter what it is, Erik is smitten by my meal, enthusiastically gives me six out of five stars with tears in his eyes (and I hardly ever get five stars!), and tells me he thinks I should become a Chef.

And, I am going to become a Chef.

I have learned so much from The Restaurant, but most importantly, I have found that I actually want to be a Chef. Yes, I know. I am aberrant.  But, It seems like the perfect transition from the ballet world I have been so involved in for 23 (eek!) years:Work hard; play hard; create beautiful experiences; captivate people; adrenaline highs; sugar lows; exhaustion; excitement.  I have only ever know this lifestyle and I adore this type of canvas for creativity. But, I am disenchanted with working twelve hour shifts. But, all can’t be perfect. Right?

I warmed our large white pasta plates in a 200 degree oven as Erik cracked open a  bottle of 2003 Haut Medoc we had been saving, from a boutique wine shop from the Rue Claire in Paris. We sat down at the dinner table, a foreigner to us these past few weeks, and took our first bites of the freshly seared scallops, the homemade gnocchi, and the subtly spicy broth. Silence ensued. I closed my eyes, knowing I would remember this dinner for the rest of my life.

I am going to be a Chef.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves 2

*Adapted from a recipe learned at The Restaurant

2 HUGE fresh sea scallops, I went to University Seafood in Seattle

Olive oil

Grapeseed oil

2 tbsp. pancetta, finely minced

1/4 batch of gnocchi, about two big handfuls

1/3 c. blanched fava beans (click on this link for helpful blanching instructions)

6 slices of garlic, cut finely on a mandoline

1 tsp. red pepper flakes, or less

1/2 c. - 1c. vegetable stock, I got it out of a box but next time I am going to make it from scratch

2 c. kale, coarsely chopped

Kosher salt

1 lemon, freshly squeezed and juice strained

1 tsp. Plugra butter

Preheat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat for the scallops. Preheat your oven to 200 to warm your pasta plates.

In a COLD 2 qt. saucier, add in about 2 tbsp. of olive oil and the pancetta. Heat the pancetta and olive oil over medium-high heat. This gives the pancetta the maximum amount of time to render its fat. Once the pancetta is bubbling in the pan, increase the heat a bit and throw in the gnocchi and let sit for about 1 minute so that it gets nice and caramelized on one side.

Meanwhile, season the scallops with a generous amount of olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt.

Once the gnocchi are brown on one side, add in the favas, the garlic, and the red pepper flakes. Toss all of the ingredients around either with a spoon, or with your pan, until the garlic starts to move around. Do not let it get brown.

Add in the vegetable broth (about 1/2 c. to start and then more later when the sauce cooks off) and the kale and season with kosher salt. Toss around. Turn down the heat to medium-low.

On the hot preheated pan, add in about 1 tbsp. of grapseed oil and swirl it around so it covers the pan. Add the scallops and do not move them until they are browned on one side (like a toasted pine nut).

Stick the pasta plates in the oven.

Flip the scallop. Check your sauce on the gnocchi. If it has evaporated, add more stock and turn up the heat a little. Add a splash of lemon juice and a nub of butter. Season to taste, if needed.

When you scallop is done on the second side, place it on a cutting board. Gently cut it in half, using your entire knife (do not saw it). Take your plates out of the oven. Gently spoon the gnocchi into your plates, do not dump from the pan. Top with the cut seared scallop. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top of the scallop and season with a little more salt.

Serve immediately.