Having a Juicer
Do you own a juicer and enjoy freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juices? Or does your juicer live most of its life tucked away in a cupboard because taking it out and cleaning it feels like a chore? You’re not alone.
I’m guilty of the same. Some weeks my juicer gets used constantly and I don’t mind the cleanup; other times it sits unused for ages. Lately, though, I’ve been reaching for it more often—perhaps the season helps. Fresh juice is not only refreshing but also versatile: I use it for drinks and to brighten savoury dishes.
Commercial vegetable juices have often disappointed me. While many store-bought fruit juices can be acceptable, carrot or beet juices rarely match the freshness of homemade versions. For vegetable juices I prefer to squeeze my own. Maybe others find ready-made vegetable juices satisfying—if you have a brand you like, I’d be curious to know.
A Simple Savoury Lunch With Green Apple Juice
For the recipe below I used green apples and made extra juice to enjoy alongside the meal. The result is a light, fresh dish inspired by a recent issue of Cuisine et Vins de France, adapted slightly to suit what I had on hand. If you enjoy scallops and green fruits and vegetables, this dish should please you.
I especially appreciated the green apple’s crunch and bright flavor in the sauce. If you don’t own a juicer, lemon juice can be used as a substitute.
You need:
- 16 scallops (large, dry-packed if possible)
- 2 green apples
- 1 cup snap peas
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 oz (about 60 g) butter
- Olive oil
- Salt (fleur de sel) and pepper
- A few sprouts or microgreens
Steps:
- Wash and clean the snap peas, removing any strings.
- Steam the peas for about 10 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Wash one apple and cut it into small sticks. Toss the sticks with a little lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Heat a mix of butter and olive oil in a frying pan. When hot, sear the scallops over high heat for about 2–3 minutes per side, depending on size. Do not overcook—less is better.
- Remove the scallops and keep them warm.
- If you have a juicer, extract juice from the second green apple and add it to the pan used for the scallops to deglaze and form a simple sauce. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
- Heat a small knob of butter in another pan and quickly sauté the steamed peas to warm and glaze them.
- Arrange scallops in the center of each plate, surround with pea and apple sticks, and spoon the apple sauce over the scallops. Finish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel and a few sprouts.
This preparation is simple, elegant, and full of fresh flavor.
Ingrédients :
- 16 noix de Saint-Jacques (plutôt grosses, sans corail, de préférence sèches)
- 2 pommes vertes
- 600 g de pois gourmands
- Jus d’un citron
- 60 g de beurre
- Huile d’olive
- Sel (fleur de sel) et poivre
- Quelques graines germées ou du cresson
Étapes :
- Lavez et nettoyez les pois gourmands en retirant les fils.
- Cuisez-les à la vapeur pendant environ 10 minutes.
- Lavez une pomme et coupez-la en petits bâtonnets. Arrosez-les de jus de citron pour éviter qu’ils noircissent.
- Faites chauffer une noisette de beurre et un filet d’huile d’olive dans une poêle. Faites revenir les noix de Saint-Jacques à feu vif pendant 2 à 3 minutes de chaque côté, selon leur taille. Ne les cuisez pas trop.
- Sortez-les et gardez-les au chaud.
- Avec une centrifugeuse, extrayez le jus de la deuxième pomme verte et versez-le dans la poêle ayant servi à la cuisson des Saint-Jacques. Déglacez, salez, poivrez, portez brièvement à ébullition puis retirez du feu.
- Faites revenir rapidement les pois gourmands dans une noix de beurre.
- Disposez quatre noix de Saint-Jacques par assiette, ajoutez les pois gourmands et les bâtonnets de pomme, nappez de sauce et terminez par une pincée de fleur de sel et quelques graines germées.
Si vous ne possédez pas de centrifugeuse, remplacez le jus de pomme par du jus de citron.
Bon appétit — c’est simple et délicieux.
