You walk into a well-stocked seafood store like The Net Result and man, oh, man, it’s hard to make a decision. So many good things. I was at The Net Result on Friday just to pick up a piece of fish for dinner, but I wound up buying bay scallops, too, as I couldn’t choose just one seafood. And after all, the price of local bay scallops is still down, and the season will be over before you know it.

I wound up buying fluke because we haven’t had it in a while, and I figured I would pan-fry it like I usually do. (Though pan-roasting is good, too.) But I looked at the big flat filet (fluke is a flounder) and suddenly remembered something that I used to make at the gourmet store years ago (like that Parmigiano Chicken I posted a few weeks ago!). I hope I had a better name then, but all I can think to call them now is Fluke Roll-Ups. They’re not quite pinwheels, though it would be lovely if they were.

I improvised a couple of these by making a quick paste of sundried tomatoes, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano, and parsley. I cut the filet into two long pieces, more or less along the line where the backbone would have been, spread them with the sundried tomato mixture, rolled them up, brushed with butter, and topped with Parmigiano crumbs. I baked for about 14 minutes at 400 degrees F, and the result was very tasty.

I wish I’d had time and more fish to repeat the technique to both scale it up and try different fillings. Normally I would do that before passing a recipe along to you, and I’m sorry to hand you something that makes only two small portions. But I’m hoping you can run with the idea for now, and I’ll noodle with the recipe for Fluke Roll-Ups with Sundried Tomato Filling in the future. 

We saved our bay scallops for the next night, searing them and making a lemon-orange butter pan sauce.

Instead of putting them over creamy polenta like I often do, I made something like this Brussels Sprouts and Yukon Gold Potato Hash as a bed for them. The winter flavors with the sweet scallops were a perfect match.

If I’d thought of it, I might have used some of my Morning Glory butternut squash that’s aging in my basement to make Cathy Walthers’ beautiful Bay Scallops with Butternut and Basil Sauce. Will have to do that before the winter is over.

Which reminds me, you know what else is a winner with bay scallops? This Butternut Squash, Kale & Parmigiano Gratin.

You’ll need a bracing salad to contrast the rich, sweet flavors of the squash and scallops, I think. Remember this pretty Build-Your-Own Winter Holiday Salad? For an everyday meal, you don’t have to spend the time layering it and making it look fancy – just toss the ingredients together and call it a night.

With that well-rounded meal, it’s perfectly reasonable to have Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Fudge Brownies for dessert.

I can't believe it, but next Wednesday is March 1. So I'll see you right here in March and before then on Instagram @cookthevineyard. Be sure to follow us if you haven't already. Don't miss the latest edition of Ask Jenny!

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