Sign up for our Newsletter
Caci scallop season

Bay scallops with pumpkin caponata, prosciutto and crumbled amaretti (Caci Courtesy Photo)

Caci scallop season

Whether they’re seared, baked or sautéed, nothing beats a Peconic Bay scallop.

Following opening day yesterday, some North Fork restaurants have pulled out all the stops to showcase this sweet and nutty bivalve. While it wasn’t a great start to the season, you’ll find this shellfish on local restaurant menus until they are gone.

Here are three North Fork restaurants making dishes with the ultra-fresh seafood. Get them while they’re available.

Noah’s, Greenport

Baked bay scallops in the shell, seared scallops with white root vegetable puree and sautéed kale

“The baked Peconic Bay scallop in the shell is awesome because you get to see them as they are,” said owner and executive chef Noah Schwartz.

The seared scallop dish, served with white root vegetable purée and sautéed kale, is finished with a lemon and walnut sauce made in the same pan used to sear the shellfish.

“It really picks up all the sweet and earthy notes of the scallop,” Schwartz said.

North Fork Table and Inn, Southold

Baked scallops with white sweet potato dauphinois in a Burgundy truffle bechamel sauce

North Fork Table scallop season
Baked scallops with white sweet potato dauphinois in a Burgundy truffle bechamel sauce. (Credit: Stephan Bogardus)

For day one of scallop season, North Fork Table and Inn executive chef Stephan Bogardus baked them in a crouset with Burgundy truffle sauce. He served the scallops with a white sweet potato dauphinois, a French side dish similar in preparation to scalloped potatoes.

“I love scallops because they are a hyper-local luxury ingredient,” Bogardus said. “They are so versatile in regard to application — almost any cooking technique is appropriate and there are a slew of raw preparations, with even more possibilities for flavor profiles regarding pairings.”

Caci North Fork, Southold

Bay scallops with pumpkin caponata, prosciutto and crumbled amaretti

Caci scallop season
Bay scallops with pumpkin caponata, prosciutto and crumbled amaretti. (Credit: Caci North Fork)

Caci North Fork executive chef Marco Pellegrini created this succulent scallop dish for the restaurant’s autumn menu as a paean to fall. The pumpkin caponata is a classic vegetable salad. Served with the prosciutto, it’s topped with crumbled amaretti cookies.

“We always look forward to Peconic Bay scallop season when Chef Marco invents a dish to combine the tastes of the North Fork with the flavors of Umbria,” said Caci co-owner Daniele Cacioppo. “Peconic Bay scallops, Breeze Hill Farm pumpkin from the North Fork and amaretti and prosciutto from Umbria.”

The dish is available until early January.

X
X