Friday, January 1, 2010

New Year's Eve dinner

A very Happy 2010 you all of you! Thank you to each and every one who have visited Schnitzel and the Trout this year. I hope you will all come back this new year and tell me who you are.

Once again, I am sharing one of my grandfather's postcards circa 1910. Very fitting for the time.

I promised to post the New Year's Eve dinner that the Trout and I shared. It started out with shrimp cocktails, our last dozen oysters on the half shell and then we got serious. A bib lettuce salad with my mother's salad dressing. She always made her dressing with sour cream, a little vinegar, a little sugar, salt and fresh ground pepper. Mix this together, add to fresh bib lettuce and top with crumbled sauteed bacon.

And then, the main dish. We have eaten this often on New Year's eve. It is like a tradition for us. The recipe is from Bon Appetit, October 1995. We have been making it almost as long as that.

Seared Sea Scallops with Creme Fraiche and Caviar

1 teaspoon olive oil
12 large sea scallops, cut in half horizontally if too large
1/4 cup creme fraiche
1/2 ounce caviar
fresh chives

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Cook scallops until golden on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn over, saute until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels.

Top each scallop with 1/2 teaspoon creme fraiche. Top with caviar and garnish with chives.

This can be served as an appetizer, but we always serve it as the main dish. It is amazing, but every time we make this, we realize how much we really love it. Oh yes, a bottle of Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut went well with this meal. Happy New Year dear friends.



8 comments:

  1. Those scallops-one of my favorite things-look fabulous. I stopped by to wish you a Happy New Year.

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  2. Happy New Year, Susan! May it be a happy, healthy one for all of us.

    Lovely celebratory dinner!

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  3. Happy New Year, Susan. I hope 2010 brings you health and happiness. Your dinner looks and sounds superb. I'll be back next week. Blessings...Mary

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  4. Anonymous7:25 AM

    Beats our new years eve dinner-- an overpriced bag of popcorn from the movie theater and one enormous diet coke. The theaters are insane-- no we are insane to buy the stuff. I could have had a gourmet meal for the price of that BUT it was my once a year indulgence in Popcorn which I miss. Avitar was great, a real big screen must. Came home and made frozen scallops wrapped in bacon. Watched the ball drop and talked to relatives on the phone. What a wild night! Party! 20 years ago we would have had a party. Now it is easier to just do what we feel and enjoy our time together. Happy new year. Praying this year is loads better then last.
    Laurie in the great white north. Hey it is 5 degrees here.

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  5. What a wonderful New Year's Eve dinner, Susan. Scallops are a favorite of mine.

    Those old issues of Bon Appetit had some terrific recipes. A few of my favorites go back to the
    1970's.

    Happy New Year to you and The Trout. I hope 2010 will be a healthy and happy year for us all.

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  6. Oh my goodness! Fabulous! My pizza had nothing on this meal! I really love the bibb salad! I'm going to try it!

    Happy New Year!

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  7. I just love your blog--can't wait to see what you come up with in 2010! Wishing you and the Trout a happy, healthy, interesting New Year 2010!

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  8. Susan this looks yummy! I'm going to try your mom's salad dressing too! I would love to see you and Trout. I know this next year will fly as they all do while I age. Blessings to you and yours!

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