She thinks that what defines the food scene of Colorado and sets it apart is how ‘homegrown’ it is. Good chefs either grow up here, or come here excited to use all those fresh resources and hoping to ‘make it’. She loves that there are many locally-owned independent restaurants, and it’s not overloaded with chains.
And her food just goes to show that freedom with cooking supplies can lead to some mighty tasty and unique recipes…
Her Blood Orange-Pine Agrodolce Sauce
She combines that sweet-tart blood orange juice with garlic and pine nuts for a delicious sauce that can be added on chicken or pork.
Ingredients
- 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/2 cup sherry, preferably Amontillado
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 6 tablespoons fresh blood orange juice or plain orange juice
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated blood orange zest or plain orange zest
- 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Pepper
- Kosher salt
- Pan-seared scallops, for serving
How Do You Make the Sauce?
First, you take a medium skillet and heat the oil. Then, you add the pine nuts and garlic and cook over moderate heat. You stir it until it gets golden for about two minutes. Also, you stir in the sherry, blood orange juice, and sherry vinegar and cook over high heat until reduced by half, for five minutes. Then, you have to remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk it in the orange zest, tarragon, and butter. Next, you season it with pepper and salt and serve it over seared scallops.
Recipe From Heaven
If you happen to have some agrodolce on hand, you will suddenly look at everything in your refrigerator and realize how desperately it needs to be topped with a spoonful.