Η συνταγή και στα ελληνικά στο τέλος της ανάρτησης!
I am sure you all know Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty. Aphrodite, according to myth, was born in the sea. Story says that Zeus’ father, Kronos in order to take the rule from his father Uranus, cut his genitals and threw them in the sea. They fell close to a Greek island called Kithira. At that point huge foam was created and with the help of Zephyrus wind it traveled all the way to Cyprus. There, at the beautiful coast of Pafos, Aphrodite emerged from the sea.
Ores, the seasons of the year, welcomed her, dressed her with beautiful dresses of silk and gave her jewels to wear in her ears, neck and hands. She then was presented in front of gods in mount Olympus. Everyone was astonished by her beauty. Especially male gods were complementing her with a view to making her their wife. Eventually, as oxymoron as it may sound, this beauty became the lawful wife of the ugly handicapped Hephaestus.
Nevertheless, a marriage was not enough to keep the beautiful goddess from creating other extracurricular affairs with several gods and mortals with the most famous of all being that with Mars the god of war with which she gave birth to several children. The most famous of them was cupid who followed her everywhere.
Sandro Botticelli depicted the birth of Aphrodite in his famous painting La nascita di Venere. In this painting the goddess is shown to stand on a seashell. The wind waves her hair and Ores are running to dress her.
Aphrodite was the one who promised Paris to give him the most beautiful mortal woman on earth, if he gave to her the apple that had a scripture “to the most beautiful one” and this is how Trojan War has started.
I don’t know if it is me, but I saw a connection between apples and scallops. Aphrodite on the seashell, Paris gave the apple to Aphrodite, there it is, that bond between these two ingredients. And this is how this dish was created. I saw the painting in a site and suddenly I remembered the myth and one thing led to the other and I thought it would be a great idea to make a dish with the both of them. I also happened to find scallops in my local store after a very long time and I didn’t want to pass this opportunity.
I loved every bite of this dish. The sauce was rich and hearty, the scallops were juicy and soft, the apples were crunchy and sweet and I had a bunch of shrimps in my freezer so added them too because my parents came over for lunch so I had to double the recipe.
I paired them with spaghetti and it was pure heaven. You can also put cauliflower or broccoli next to them or even mashed potatoes, I am sure they will taste equally great! The recipe is for 5 people but you can easily half it or double it. The analogy in ingredients is not as strict.
- 500 gr. / 18 oz. spaghetti pasta
- 800 gr. / 28 oz. scallops
- 400 gr. / 14 oz. shrimps
- 330 gr. / 12 oz. apple cider
- 400 ml / 14 fl oz. light cream 15%
- 2 apples cut in little cubes
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper (I put 2 tsp salt)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- Take a big skillet.
- Add couple of tbsp of olive oil and sauté the scallops and shrimps in medium/high heat until they take a nice golden color on both sides, approximately 2 minutes per side.
- Remove and put aside.
- In the same skillet add the onion and garlic and sauté until they become soft about 3 minutes.
- Pour the apple cider and deglaze the pan.
- Let boil for a minute and add the cream.
- Lower the fire to low and add salt and pepper and all the other herbs.
- Let it simmer while you prepare the apples.
- Take another skillet add the apples, 1 tbsp of sugar and ½ cup of water.
- Let them boil in medium/high heat until they are soft.
- If they need more water add by ¼ of cup.
- Once all liquid is evaporated and the apples are ready throw them in the apple cider/cream pan and incorporate.
- About three minutes before the end throw the scallops and shrimps and whisk gently to incorporate.
- If the cream is watery, add 1 tsp of corn starch dissolved in one tsp of water.
- If on the other hand is thick add ½ cup boiling water from the pasta.
- Prepare pasta according to your liking and either throw it into the sauce skillet and toss or serve in plates and above it add the scallops and sauce. Either way it is super tasty!
- 500 γρ. Σπαγγέτι
- 800 γρ. χτένια
- 400 γρ. γαρίδες
- 330 γρ. μηλίτη
- 400 ml κρέμα γάλακτος 15%
- 2 μήλα κομμένα σε κύβους
- 1 κ.σ. ζάχαρη
- 1 μικρό κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
- 1 σκελίδα σκόρδο, κιμά
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι (έβαλα 2 κ.γ. αλάτι)
- 1 κ.γ. ρίγανη
- 1 κ.γ. ξερό βασιλικό
- ½ κ.γ. ξερό θυμάρι
- Πάρτε ένα μεγάλο τηγάνι.
- Προσθέστε δύο κουταλιές της σούπας ελαιόλαδο και σοτάρετε τα χτένια και τις γαρίδες σε μέτρια/υψηλή θερμοκρασία μέχρι να πάρουν ένα ωραίο χρυσό χρώμα και από τις δύο πλευρές, περίπου 2 λεπτά ανά πλευρά.
- Αφαιρέστε και βάλτε στην άκρη.
- Στην ίδια κατσαρόλα προσθέστε το κρεμμύδι και το σκόρδο και σοτάρετε μέχρι να μαλακώσουν περίπου 3 λεπτά.
- Ρίξτε το μηλίτη και ξύστε με μία σπατουλίτσα το τηγάνι να καθαρίσει.
- Βράστε για ένα λεπτό και προσθέστε την κρέμα γάλακτος.
- Χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά στο χαμηλό και προσθέστε αλάτι και πιπέρι και όλα τα άλλα βότανα.
- Αφήστε να σιγοβράσουν ενώ προετοιμάζετε τα μήλα.
- Πάρτε ένα άλλο τηγάνι προσθέστε τα μήλα, 1 κουταλιά της σούπας ζάχαρη και ½ φλιτζάνι νερό.
- Αφήστε να βράσουν σε μέτρια/υψηλή θερμοκρασία έως ότου μαλακώσουν.
- Αν χρειάζεται περισσότερο νερό, προσθέστε ¼ της κούπας.
- Μόλις όλα τα υγρά εξατμιστούν και τα μήλα είναι έτοιμα ρίξτε τα στο τηγάνι με την κρέμα και ανακατέψτε ελαφρά.
- Περίπου τρία λεπτά πριν από το τέλος ρίξτε τα χτένια και τις γαρίδες και ανακατέψτε απαλά να ενσωματωθούν.
- Εάν η κρέμα είναι υδαρής, προσθέστε 1 κ.γ. κορν φλάουρ διαλυμένο σε ένα κ.γ. νερό. Αν πάλι είναι πολύ σφιχτή βάλτε ½ φλ. νερό από αυτό που βράζουν τα μακαρόνια.
- Ετοιμάστε τα ζυμαρικά σύμφωνα με τις προτιμήσεις σας και είτε ρίξτε τα στην κατσαρόλα με τη σάλτσα και ανακατέψτε ή σερβίρετε τη μακαρονάδα σε πιάτα και πάνω από αυτή, προσθέστε τα χτένια και τη σάλτσα. Είτε έτσι είτε αλλιώς είναι εξαιρετικά νόστιμο!
