Not all of us in Canada live close enough to water that we can enjoy a wide selection of seafood regularly, but with the right techniques and some imagination, we can all make the best of what we have access to and create impressive seafood dinners.
To show you how easy it is to incorporate sustainable seafood into your diet, chef Ned Bell shares 80 recipes in his all-new cookbook, Lure, which guides readers through sustainble seafood and its benefits. And it's not just fish and shellfish that he showcases in his book. There are plenty of kelp recipes for you to experient with, like this one for kelp and smoked sea salt scones. They may seem unconventional, but htey are salty, savoury, and so snackable. The spicy butter is a great complement to the scones and together, they go well with seafood chowders and salads.
You can freeze the unbaked scones and baked them from frozen at 375°F for 10 minutes longer than from fresh. The unbaked scones freeze well, which means you can keep some in the freezer to bake whenever the mood strikes.
Serrano butter
Preheat the broiler and set the oven rack to the topmost position. Put the peppers on a baking sheet and broil on one side for about 5 minutes or until beginning to soften and the skins are browned or blackened. Use tongs to turn the peppers over and broil for another 5 minutes or until browned. Set aside to cool.
When cool enough to handle, scrape off the skins. Split the peppers open and remove the seeds. Transfer the peppers to a blender or food processor, add the butter, honey, and salt, and process until well blended. Scrape the butter onto a piece of plastic wrap, and then shape and roll it into a 2-inch-thick log. Refrigerate until needed.
Kelp scones
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, baking powder, smoked salt, kelp powder, and lemon zest until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal scattered with a few larger pea-size pieces of butter. (Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer, or cut the butter in by hand with a pastry cutter.)
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and egg until well combined. Add to the flour mixture, and pulse just a few times until the dough starts to come together. Do not overmix. Turn the dough out onto a clean, dry work surface. Gather and press it together to form a cohesive ball.
Sprinkle the work surface lightly with flour. Roll or pat the dough into a 1-inch-thick circle. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 8 wedges. Arrange the scones on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with the serrano butter.
- Yield:
- 8 scones
