Just about a mile north of Fifth Avenue South, The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club is a vacationer’s paradise with an open-door policy for the staycation set. Any time is good for locals to drop by, and we’re especially welcome at HB’s, where a covered patio a shell’s throw from the lapping waves (or a temperature-controlled, window-paneled dining room) beckons. Seafood is a specialty, and chef Hornyak loves featuring this simple dish he insists is easy to master at home, often plating it with fried plantains and roasted baby carrots.
851 Gulf Shore Blvd. N., Naples, 435-4347, naplesbeachhotel.com
Coconut Cashew Butter
½ cup raw cashews
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Juice and zest of ½ a lemon
¾ cup coconut water, room temperature
1 tablespoon coconut oil
teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon sea salt
1. In a food processer, blend all ingredients until smooth.
Pistachio-Dusted Scallops and Seared Lemon
¼ cup raw shelled pistachios
Sea salt
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
8 large fresh scallops, patted dry
1 lemon, halved
Coconut Cashew Butter (see recipe above), for serving
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast pistachios for 10 minutes; let cool, then grind in food processor until finely ground. Salt to taste and set aside.
2. Add butter and olive oil to a sauté pan on high heat.
3. When oil and butter are searing-
hot, gently add scallops one by one so they are tnot touching.
4. Once scallops are golden-brown, flip and repeat on the other side. They should cook about 1½ minutes per side (depending on size) and should have a golden-brown crust on both sides and a translucent center.
5. Remove scallops and add halved lemon to pan to sear. Caramelize lemon for about one minute; reserve for plating.
6. In a bowl, dust scallops with ground pistachios.
7. Divide between two plates and serve immediately with coconut cashew butter and seared lemon.
