Deviled Scallops a quick bit of luxury

Scallops are a bit of a luxury, even for people along the coast. They sure are good, though. Back in January, when Dana Holbrook over across the bay from me asked what I did with them, I thought, “Hmm, actually I don’t.” That is, I hardly ever have scallops, and I wondered why, and then I saw the price and thought, “Oh, yeah, that’s why.” But as a treat, scallops are wonderful. And you all sent along a few very good ideas about how to prepare them.

As with most shellfish, the main thing is not to overcook them. A recipe from that nice Ruth Thurston showed that it is possible to make a casserole of them, simply assembled with mushrooms and onions with slivered almonds sprinkled on top. She also sent along a scallop stew of the oyster stew ilk, in which the scallops are gently cooked in butter and simmered in rich, scalded milk, with a splash of Worcestershire, better flavored if it is allowed to rest overnight. But I was in the mood for something quickly sauteed, and a recipe sent along by my neighbor Maggie Reynolds came the closest.

Maggie adapted this Deviled Scallops recipe from her 1996 Fanny Farmer cookbook. One of its virtues is that you can jack up the spiciness to your taste. I went easy on the cayenne – too easy, actually. Maggie said she thought we could cut back on the butter and crumbs a bit, so I did. I also had a couple of giant scallops in the collection, so I cut them down so all the scallops were a similar size. Jamie wished I had added a little minced garlic.

She wrote that the recipe “is delicious, simple and practically foolproof. These are baked and always come out perfect.” True, true. I thought, wow, 20 minutes! Just enough time to throw together a salad, or steam a little asparagus or broccoli, and make a little batch of couscous, and it is a spiffy dinner in a half-hour. If you move quickly.

Looking for …

Marilyn Hall of Oakfield wrote, “Is there such a thing as graham flour? A lot of recipes call for graham. I have looked for the flour a long time, even in Canada. I love graham muffins.”

Well, I know that graham flour is essentially whole-wheat flour, though most of us don’t call it by the name graham anymore. A couple of years ago, I ran into some graham flour ground by a local mill in central New York State. Anyone have a good source for graham flour? Is any ground in Maine? And does anyone have a good graham muffin recipe? (If you don’t, I have one for Graham Gems, same thing only different.)

Send queries or answers to Sandy Oliver, 1061 Main Road, Islesboro 04848. E-mail: tastebuds@prexar.com. For recipes, tell us where they came from. List ingredients, specify number of servings and do not abbreviate measurements. Include name, address and daytime phone number.

Deviled Scallops

Serves three

1 pound of scallops

3 tablespoons softened butter

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Dash of cayenne pepper

1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a small baking dish (I used a glass pie plate) or scallop shells. Rinse the scallops and pat them dry. Cream together the butter, mustard and cayenne. Put the scallops in the dish, and dot them with butter and spice mixture, then cover them with bread crumbs. Bake for 20 minutes sharp.