Savory Shellfish Sabayon with Pan-Grilled Calamari and Pickled Rhubarb

*Click here for our guide to cleaning calamari and our argument for why you want to do it yourself.

**Your stock could be a well-seasoned (preferably homemade) shrimp or lobster broth or even the cooking liquid from moules marinière. In a pinch, I’ll use store-bought clam juice and add salt to taste.

Toss calamari in a bowl with the olive oil. Heat a skillet over high heat and add calamari. Pan-grill until calamari firms up and begins to brown on the edges, about 3–5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a plate and keep warm in a preheated 250°F oven.

To make the sabayon: Cream yolks and stock together in a heat-safe bowl that will serve as the top of your double boiler. Bring water to a boil in the bottom pot of the double boiler and turn down to a low simmer. Place the bowl over (but not touching) the low simmering water. Whisk yolks and stock as the mixture warms up, thickens, and doubles in volume, about 3–5 minutes, depending on the closeness to the hot water. The moment your whisk draws thick ribbons in the sauce (consistency of custard sauce) take the sabayon off the heat and, while whisking, season to taste with salt and pepper. While still warm, scrape directly from the bowl into a shallow serving bowl (or individual shallow bowls) and arrange the calamari and pickled rhubarb on top. Serve.

Make ahead Quick-Pickled Rhubarb

Slice rhubarb stalks into ½-inch pieces. (Slice thinner if you use thicker stalks.) Place slices into a clean mason jar.

In a small saucepan, combine orange juice and water with sugar, salt, ginger, and jalapeño. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Pour mixture into the mason jar over the rhubarb slices. Add a lid to the jar and let cool. Transfer to the fridge and let stand for at least 24 hours. After that, the pickled rhubarb is ready to eat. Quick-pickled rhubarb keeps for up to two weeks in the fridge.