Scallop Stumped

I need to work on my scallop recipe.

For some reason, I had an inexplicable urge to make scallops this weekend. Maybe it's the fact that I've finally found somewhere to buy nice, fat, fresh ones for less than $15 a pound (the amazing Asian grocery store less than 10 minutes away in Plainsboro--one of my new favorite food stops). I don't make scallops often. In fact, I can't remember the last time I did them, but I had made up my mind, and yesterday I got my hands on eight plump, ocean-smelling beauties.

In the summer, I tend to lean towards light flavors when I cook. Acids like lemon and lime, and lots of fresh herbs, which, I'm proud to say, I've managed to keep alive in a small planter on our front porch. I know scallops have a pretty delicate flavor, so my plan was to marinate them in some olive oil, lemon juice, and sage and serve them with a nice gremolata (a finely minced combination of parsley, herbs, garlic, and lemon zest).

Sorry to say, it wasn't my greatest success. For one thing, I think I marinated the scallops for too long. And the gremolata tasted bitter, no matter what I did to try and tamp that particular flavor down. I thought cooking down the marinade and using it as a sauce might help, since the acid would cut the bitter taste. Well, that was a mistake. All I tasted was acid. It overwhelmed the delicate flavor of the scallops and hit my stomach like a lemony spike. Luckily, I did a caprese salad as a side dish, and both A. and I shoved the tomatoes aside and inhaled the mozzarella instead. The white wine we were drinking, though nice, didn't help with the acidity hit either.

Oh well, you live, you learn. Now I know to go a little easier on the lemon next time, use all herbs instead of parsley, maybe. This is how you figure out what works and what doesn't--and that's what intuitive cooking is all about. Hopefully tonight's fajitas will go a little better!