A Taste of the Wild Atlantic, from Ireland’s Ring of Kerry

Vicarious food travel is always highly recommended, especially if you have a heart for Ireland. Try this Crumbed Scallops in Garlic Butter for a simple, elegant date night, from chef Maura O’Connell Foley.

I’m a true believer in vicarious food travel, which is to say I’ve been letting the Ireland linger in me by cooking wildly from “My Wild Atlantic Kitchen” with my special Irish guy.

Since our trip there this summer, we have made some stellar recipes from Maura O’Connell Foley’s cookbook, which is based on recipes from her restaurant, The Purple Heather, in Kenmare, which is on the Ring of Kerry in the west of Ireland.

This one, Crumbed Scallops with Garlic Butter, was another standout — simple, elegant and delicious. I served it with roasted asparagus and grilled beets, using the scallop shell plates my son, gourmand-extraordinaire, left behind. (He is the Master of Plating.)

Here is the recipe, which uses European measurements. I halved the recipe.

I wanted this to be Keto-friendly, with no white flour or white bread, so I used cauliflower flour and an ancient grains sprouted whole wheat bread I found at Natural Grocers. This bread, The Queen’s Khorasan by Silver Hills, is packed with subtle sweetness and crunch, and it makes the recipe, matching the sweetness of the scallops and adding some earthiness.

CRUMBED SCALLOPS WITH GARLIC BUTTER

INGREDIENTS
100 g/3.5 oz. cauliflower flour
4 eggs, beaten
155 g/5.5 oz. fresh soft breadcrumbs
16 sea scallops
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. Kerrygold butter
Sea salt, cracked black pepper, a pinch of cayenne
4 Tbsp. garlic butter (I ended up not even drizzling this on the scallops because the pan juices were flavorful enough, trimming out some calories here.)

STEPS
1. In a shallow bowl, add flour and season. In another shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Place…