Erica De Mane

Scallops seared on only one side, so they’re crisp but meltingly tender throughout.

Recipes:

Watercress Salad with Sautéed Apples, Pine Nuts, and Bra Dura Cheese
Seared Sea Scallops with Watercress, Farro, and Green Olivata

I’ve been fascinated with watercress ever since I was introduced to a wild patch growing in a little stream in the Catskills near where we from time to time rent a cabin. I knew watercress had to exist up there, with all the shallow roadside trickles of water. I could sense its presence, but for years, even with all my searching in spots that seemed promising, it eluded me.

That part of the Catskills is a place where in the 1950s and ’60s many French food professionals settled and opened restaurants, mostly people from Brittany. Most of the restaurants have now closed, but many of the people are still scattered around. One French lady, a former pastry chef and somewhat morbid type who I often noticed taking her constitutionals near our cabin, had for years been keeping the location of a big watercress patch to herself. She’d occasionally show up at the cabins with little bags full, as a gift to the proprietress, but she wouldn’t let anyone know where the spot was, and frankly I think I’m the only one who really cared. She knew I was a cook, and she’d occasionally brag to me about some leek gratin or plum tart she had just cooked up. Finally one day, for no apparent reason, she told me where the patch was (she still won’t divulge her spots for morels and ramps, and I’m not gonna push that).

I could barely contain my excitement when I first laid eyes on the watercress. It’s a prolific patch, sprouting up in April and getting bigger and lusher into the summer. The watercress is peppery, deep green, and absolutely delicious in that gentle bitter way that I and most Italians (and apparently French) love. The thick stems near the roots are hollow, and they seem very delicately hinged to the watery earth. I have to be careful about pulling them up, since the plant is easy to uproot, so I usually bring scissors and clip the tender, leafy stems. Around late summer the watercress starts blossoming with little white flowers, and at that time it turns a little too bitter, but I still love it, using it more in soups and sautés than in salads.

Here are two recent watercress creations of mine that came out especially well. They were made not with my own foraged watercress but with $6-a-bunch wild watercress from the Union Square Greenmarket (which may very well have come from a patch near my special Catskills spot).

I love tossing raw watercress with something warm, such as the sautéed apples or the seared scallops I’ve used in these dishes. The warm ingredient wilts the watercress slightly, opening up its flavor. And you health nuts out there should know that watercress is high in folic acid, so it’s not only low-calorie and delicious but also good for you. Happy spring dieting to you.

(Both recipes serve 2)

Watercress Salad with Sautéed Apples, Pine Nuts, and Bra Dura Cheese

Bra Dura is the aged version of a DOP cow’s milk cheese from the Piedmont region of Italy. It’s a firm cheese with a great balance of sweetness and saltiness. Even in its aged state it’s more creamy than crumbly. Really lovely.

1 large bunch watercress, well stemmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
1 firm apple (I used a Northern Spy), cored and thinly sliced
A few thyme sprigs, the leaves chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A splash of brandy
A small handful of pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
A small chunk of Bra Dura cheese (you can use an aged Asiago if you can’t find Bra Dura)

Place the watercress in a small salad bowl.

In a medium-size skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and the apple slices, and season with the thyme, a tiny pinch of salt, and black pepper. Sauté briefly, just until the apples lose their crisp edge (they should still be firm). Add a tiny splash of brandy, let it burn off for a few seconds, and then pour the apples over the watercress. Add the pine nuts. Drizzle on a tablespoon of olive oil and the teaspoon of vinegar, season with salt and black pepper, and toss gently.

Serve the salad onto two plates, and shave some of the Bra over the top. Serve right away.

Seared Scallops with Watercress, Farro, and Green Olivata

For the olivata:

½ cup green olives (I used Picholines), pitted
1 small garlic clove
A few thyme sprigs, the leaves chopped
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup farro
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, cut into small dice
2 very small young zucchini, cut into small dice
A few thyme sprigs, the leaves chopped
A few scrapings of fresh nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
A few good squeezes of lemon juice
1 large bunch watercress, well stemmed
6 dry sea scallops, the side muscles removed (look for ones identified as “dry”; they will be firm and not plumped up with chemicals, and they’ll give off less liquid, so they brown nicely)

To make the olivata, place all the olivata ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse a few times, just until you have a slightly chunky paste. Transfer to a small bowl (you can make the olivata a day or two ahead if you like).

Place the farro in a small saucepan, and cover it with water by about 3 inches. Add a little salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down a little, and let the farro cook at a lively bubble, uncovered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the farro well, and place it in a salad bowl, giving it a little drizzle of olive oil.

In a small skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, and add the shallot, letting it soften. Add the zucchini, seasoning it with the thyme, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper, and sauté until it’s just tender but still holding its shape, about 4 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Add the zucchini to the farro. Add the watercress, letting it just sit on top of the farro.

Dry the scallops well, and season them with salt and black pepper.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the scallops, and let them brown, without moving them around at all, for about 4 minutes. Without turning the scallops, lower the heat a touch, and let them cook about a minute longer (I find that if you turn them, they overcook in no time; this way they’ll stay tender throughout and nicely browned on the presentation side).

Add a tablespoon of fresh olive oil to the salad, another squeeze of lemon, and a little more salt and black pepper. Toss gently, mixing the watercress into the farro, and arrange the salad on two dinner plates. Place three scallops on each salad, browned side up, and top each serving with a dollop of the olivata. Serve right away.