One-Pot Wonders

Crack Rice

by:
May 28, 2015
4
3 Ratings
Crack Rice
Photo by Gab Herman
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

If I am not going to eat scallops raw, I'll cook them and use them economically. That’s what led to this dish, which my family and I jokingly dubbed “crack rice” because we couldn’t stop eating it.

This recipe is published in The Beetlebung Farm Cookbook and is courtesy of Little, Brown and Company.
Copyright © 2015 by Chris Fischer
Photographs © Gabriela Herman —chris fischer

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Olive or canola oil, as needed
  • 2 ounces pancetta or bacon, slivered
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, fresh if you can find them
  • 1 large pinch crushed red pepper
  • 6 ounces fresh scallops, diced
  • 4 cups cooked long grain rice
  • Lemon juice and salt, to taste
  • 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
Directions
  1. Heat a big skillet (or a wok if you have one) over medium-high heat. Add a trace of oil then the pancetta or bacon. When the pork begins render its fat and become crisp, about 3 minutes, add the garlic and coriander seeds.
  2. Keep everything in the pan moving and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add a big pinch of crushed red pepper and the diced scallops. Give everything a stir and cook just long enough to make sure all the chopped scallops are touched by the heat of the pan—they will start to whiten after about 2 minutes—then add 4 cups cooked long-grain rice.
  3. Continue cooking, keeping the contents of the pan moving as you heat (without browning) the rice. Season the rice with lemon juice and salt, finish with a handful of fresh cilantro leaves, and serve to 4 deserving friends.
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    Marie
chris fischer
Chris Fischer grew up on Martha’s Vineyard, a member of the twelfth generation of his family to inhabit the island. After cooking in some of the leading kitchens in the world—Babbo in New York City, the American Academy in Rome, St. John Bread & Wine and The River Cafe in London—he returned back to Beetlebung. Just down the road from the farm, he currently serves as the chef at the Beach Plum Inn & Restaurant.

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3 Reviews

Bliss565
Bliss565 September 10, 2021
Wow! This was sooooo good! I followed the recipe pretty much to a T, with just 2 small additions. I added some finely chopped shallots at the same time as the garlic. I added a few grinds of smoked black pepper at the same time as adding the red pepper.

I love how this recipe is simple. So often I feel like I have to go to the grocery store and spend a fortune on ingredients I’ll never use again just to get through a new recipe, especially if it’s by some fancy Michelin star chef. The only odd ball in this recipe was coriander seeds but now that I know what they add to a dish, I’ll be using them in many other pan sautéed dishes. Don’t worry if you can’t get fresh. Dry works great.

Now I’m running off to buy the cookbook…
 
Marie
Marie December 2, 2020
I have the Beetlebung cookbook (where I found this recipe) and after reading it, I take Chris Fischer's recipes as loose guidelines (e.g. pumping up the flavor because my ingredients are not as fresh as the ones from his farm). SO when I saw this recipe I happily subbed fennel for coriander (where does one even find fresh coriander?) and sage for cilantro (what I had in my garden). The amount of rice also didn't make sense to me so I halved it but kept everything else the same (slightly less fennel, maybe). It turned out GREAT. Subtle but fresh and sumptuous. Highly recommend, just don't get caught up in following everything to the letter (do what feels and tastes right).
 
Leslie Z.
Leslie Z. March 19, 2020
I am a chef, and because I'm married to a Persian, I thought I would give this s whirl because it is a rice dish and we needed fish for Norooz. In looking at the recipe I knew I would need to make some changes right off the bat. I didn't dare try to mince the scallops because they become rubber when overcooked, and it is really best to cook them rare, so I quartered them. Secondly, I doubled the flavorings. And finally, I cut back on the rice by 1 cup. Even with those changes, I was underwhelmed. I didn't find it interesting enough to try again with a different flavor pallet because I think Scallops are at their best seasoned, flash sauteed and sauced over a bed of rice.