3 Recipes To Elevate Your Date Night

Show your love through food this Valentine's Day! From scallops to tuna to salmon, we've got three incredible recipes to elevate your date night.

Steamed Scallops with Garlic Butter

This is a recipe straight from Joel and Melissa Collier's repertoire. Pink and spiny scallops are incredibly versatile and can be cooked using any of your favourite scallop, clam and mussel recipes.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Skipper Otto pink and spiny scallops
• 1/2 cup garlic butter

Optional Mignonette Dressing:

• 125 mL red wine vinegar
• 25 mL good maple syrup
• A half to a whole small diced shallot
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• Salt and coarse cracked pepper to taste (should be little peppery)

Instructions:

Place frozen scallops in a steamer after the water has come to a rolling boil. Steam until most of them open (approx 4 to 6 min). Cooking time varies with the number of scallops you’re cooking. Careful as they do get chewy if overcooked. If you're doing a large pot, toss/stir the scallops to cook all of them evenly. When they are cooked to your liking, remove and serve. Dip your steamed scallop in garlic butter. You can also add some seasoning, like chili powder, to your butter to add some more flavour.

If you're having issues separating the scallop from the shell, use the top half of the shell and scoop under the scallop (between the scallop and the shell). This is a great way to bring them to a party. Steam them at home, put all the meat in the fridge and clean the shells so you can use them to serve on later. At the party, serve them up on a shell over a tray of ice. We love the Mignonette sauce on this one.  ** Be sure to keep them chilled or limit their time at room temperature to under 10 min.

Excerpted from: wildscallop.org

Seared Albacore Tuna Recipe

Making a special meal can often be time consuming. Be easy on yourself! This delicious meal whips together in mere minutes. Add a side dish and you've got a main course. This healthy seared albacore tuna pairs well with a cabernet sauvignon – perfect for date night.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Skipper Otto albacore tuna loin
• 4-6 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• Salt and pepper

Dressing:

• 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• ½ tbsp of grated ginger
• 2 tbsp mirin
• ½ tbsp rice wine vinegar

Instructions:

Slice the tuna in half. Put sesame seeds on a plate, roll the tuna pieces in seeds to cover. Place a frying pan on a med-high heat & add the oil. Place the fish in the hot pan, laying the fish down away from you using tongs. Do not crowd the pan. Sear each side for 20-30 seconds. The seeds will turn golden brown when ready. Rest tuna for 5 minutes. Take a sharp knife and slice into rounds. Plate the tuna, top with dressing, and sprinkle with green onion.

Source: skipperotto.com

Pan Seared Wild Salmon Fillets

Wild BC Salmon this fresh doesn't need much enhancement! Lightly dress the fillets with a citrus glaze using lemon, salt, and butter.

Ingredients:

• Two 5 oz Skipper Otto chum salmon fillets
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• Half a lemon
• 1 tbsp Canola oil
• Knob of butter

Seasonal Salad, Example

The great thing about salads is that you can make them any way you want – with whatever veggies you have on-hand. The ingredients listed below were what Chef Ned used in the video recipe. A lemon vinaigrette is a nice compliment to the citrus-glazed salmon.

• Butter lettuce
• Canned chickpeas, rinsed
• Roasted red pepper hummus
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Black olive tapenade
• Baby tomatoes
• Lemon vinaigrette
• Dried olives for garnish

Directions:

1. Bring a cast iron or stainless-steel pan to high heat, add the oil.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the salmon fillets on both sides.
3. Lay the salmon fillets in the pan – be careful not to splatter yourself.
4. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on the first side.
5. Flip the fillets and add the knob of butter.
6. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan and continue cooking for about 2 minutes.
7. Tilt pan and using a big spoon to glaze the salmon with the lemon and butter… mmm, you’ll be salivating at this point.
8. Put together a seasonal salad using the veggies and ingredients your family enjoys. Add the vinaigrette.
9. Serve the wild chum salmon fillets over a bed of the salad you made, and finish with your favourite garnish.

Source: skipperotto.com