By Thanksgiving at the cottage. Same and different. Same gumbo, same turkey, same bread pudding, same thirty-something people in a house built for six. Different: Luc brought his phone and texted at the table, which Mama noticed and did not approve of but did not address because Mama picks her battles the way Pierre picks his words — carefully and with devastating precision when deployed. Different: Colette helped Mama cook the gumbo for the first time — not just stirring but chopping trinity, measuring seasoning, adding stock. She's ten and she's making gumbo with Marie-Claire, and the sight of them at the stove — the old woman and the young girl, the teacher and the student, the grandmother and the granddaughter — made me step out of the kitchen because the tears were coming and I cry in the driveway, not in the kitchen. Kitchen is for cooking. Driveway is for feeling.
After dinner: porch. Mama. Pierre. Me. The bayou. "Jolie Blonde" again — Mama sang it, softly, and this time Colette came out and listened, and when it was done, Colette asked, "What does it mean, Mamaw?" and Mama told her, in French and then in English: "It's about losing your love. About watching them go and hoping they come back." And Colette said, "Like Papaw Joey?" And Mama said, "Oui, bébé. Like Papaw Joey." And the porch was quiet, and the bayou moved, and the song hung in the air like Spanish moss, and I held this moment the way you hold a roux: gently, carefully, knowing it's fragile and temporary and worth every second of the stirring.
When Colette stood at that stove beside Mama, measuring seasoning and stirring with both hands like she’d been doing it her whole life, I understood something I’d always felt but never quite named: these flavors are how we hold on to each other. Creole cooking isn’t a style in our family — it’s a language, and Mama’s been teaching it longer than any of us have been alive to learn it. These Creole Scallop Cakes carry that same holy trinity of seasoning, that same bayou soul, and making them after a Thanksgiving like this one felt less like cooking and more like continuing the conversation.
Creole Scallop Cakes
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb sea scallops, patted dry and roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs, plus more for coating
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery
- 1/4 cup finely diced green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable), for pan-frying
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Remoulade or hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Prep the scallops. Pat scallops completely dry with paper towels. Roughly chop about two-thirds of them into small pieces and pulse the remaining third in a food processor until just paste-like. Combine both in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the cake base. Add mayonnaise, beaten egg, celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and Creole mustard to the scallop mixture. Stir gently to combine without overworking.
- Season and bind. Add 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, Creole seasoning, smoked paprika, cayenne, black pepper, salt, and parsley. Fold until the mixture just comes together. It should hold its shape when pressed.
- Form the cakes. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape each into a round cake about 3/4 inch thick. Press each lightly in extra breadcrumbs to coat both sides. Place on a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to firm up.
- Pan-fry. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding, cook scallop cakes for 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Serve. Plate immediately with lemon wedges, remoulade, or your favorite Creole hot sauce alongside.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 290 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 620mg