Seafood intimidates me in the kitchen. I can count on one hand the number of times I ate fish as a kid--Seafood simply was not a part of my family's food repertoire. (Except that one time when my brother ordered shrimp at Denny's when he was a ripe age of six. Some things, like Denny's shrimp, just should not exist.) Between the smelly fishy smell and the peculiarly airy yet steaky texture, it was not until a weekend trip to Paris while studying abroad my sophomore winter of college that I fully appreciated how absolutely delicious fish can be. (The ten weeks I lived in Barcelona - and visited London, Paris, and Rome - is when my passion for eating and cooking foods from different cuisines first began to take root, a theme I will touch upon often).
I remember the moment vividly: I was spending the weekend with my good friend and her family, and her parents treated me to an authentic (...expensive...) French dinner. Although my sheltered self was inclined to order the most familiar dish on the menu (read: chicken), the incredulousness of being in Paris suddenly came over me and I chose to order the sole. As far as fish is concerned, this particular white fish is very mild in fishy flavor. Not to mention that my filet was swimming in luxurious butter and lemon juice. Regardless, for me, trying sole was a momentous leap in my culinary adventurousness. Since then, I have eaten more and more and more fish. Tuna, halibut, tilapia, and sea bass are particular favorites and on the top of my to-cook list.
Though I now eat seafood more often, even choosing to order it over pasta at restaurants (gasp), it was not until last night that I tried my hand at cooking it. Inspired by my fishy French roots, I made Scallops Gratin. Gratin (pronounced: grah-tahn) is a French cooking technique in which your dish is covered with a browned crust, usually consisting of breadcrumbs, grated cheese, and butter. Think baked mac and cheese. Git in my belly. Keep reading for the full recipe!
