The Kar-Uh-Lay-Nuh’s

Whoo chile July in the Carolinas is hotter than a pageant queen in a bakery kitchen but boy is it rich in local produce. I had the pleasure of visiting King Drive, Maudlin’s, and Greenville State Farmers Market, and each one truly embodied what it means to be a small business in an area that thrives on fresh ingredients. Heirloom tomatoes, pickled okra, red pepper jelly and fresh seafood are just a few items I acquired for a private client dinner of 6. Their request? Surf and turf without beef and include a seafood item that would make them salivate. Rooted En Flavor happily accepted this task and got to work.

We prepared a scallop appetizer on a bed of fried pancetta and pickled okra, grilled peach and burrata salad, a 6lb whole roasted chicken, caramelized rainbow carrots and poached potatoes. Unfortunately, there were no leftovers, so the fragrant memory of a job well done will just have to do. One thing for certain, our showstopper was the scallop appetizer sourced from Lucky Fish. Texture met salt, then married sugar and moved in next door to crunch; they lived happily ever after.

Here is a simple recipe for the perfectly seared scallops and a few ideas on how to pair them.

Click Here for Kar-uh-lahy-nuh Scallops