Mom's Maryland Vacation Ends

Seafood from Matthews in Cape May Court House was a big win

A seafood feast ended Mom's two week stay back along the Patuxent River. I brought back Cape May scallops and Jersey fresh flounder and Sean (fry king on the flounder) and I cooked them up. Fried radishes and kale salad with cranberries and sunflower seeds made Brooke happy. All good things must come to an end and it was time to take Mom back to Central PA for a spell. Mom wouldn't try a scallop but she did enjoy the flounder! Sautéed Sea Scallops Provencal. The Cape May scallops from Matthews Seafood in Cape May Court House were the best I'd ever tasted outside of France. Less is more with scallops and they were treated with respect. 1 pound scallops, cleaned Seasoned flour for dredging 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 clove garlic, finely chopped Salt and freshly ground pepper ¼ cup parsley, chopped Rinse the scallops and remove the side muscle which is tough. Dry the scallops and roll them in seasoned flour. Heat the oil and the butter together until sizzling hot, then add the scallops and cook them very quickly, tossing them lightly in the hot fats so they brown delicately on all sides. Cook them in batches if you have to so they are not crowded in the pan and brown nicely. Add the chopped garlic and mix it in well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the parsley, tossing to cover well. Serve with lemon wedges. Sean's Fried Flounder (adapted from a recipe that Mary found on the internet at The Spruce and customized to suit Rolf's GF preference) 8 flounder fillets 6 ounces whole milk 1 cup gluten-free pancake mix 1 cup cornmeal peanut oil, for deep-frying salt, to taste lemon wedges Tartar Sauce (optional, for serving alongside) Place the flounder fillets in a shallow baking dish and pour in the milk to cover the fillets and then set aside. Combine baking mix and cornmeal; stir to blend and place in a cake pan. In an electric skillet set to 365 F, heat up about an inch of peanut oil until hot.

Drain the fish and dredge each piece in the baking mix and cornmeal mixture, coating the fillets thoroughly on both sides. Shake off any excess. Add the fish fillets to hot oil and fry, turning once after about 2 minutes, until golden brown and crisp on both sides (about 4 minutes total). Fry a few at a time to keep the oil temperature from dropping. Keep the fried fillets in a warm oven until all are fried. Drain the flounder fillets on paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt, to taste. Serve fried flounder hot, garnished with lemon wedges and Tartar Sauce, if desired. Mom did enjoy the Tartar Sauce. Homemade Tartar Sauce Equal parts Hellman's mayo and plain yogurt from Musser Dairy with additions such as capers, parsley, tarragon, minced pickle or relish, Dijon/Srirachi/cocktail sauce.