By I taught Isaiah to fry chicken. Saturday morning. Mama's kitchen — not Mama's kitchen at Cascade Heights, but my kitchen, which is Mama's kitchen by inheritance, by recipe, by the can on the counter. He stood beside me and I taught him everything: the buttermilk soak (overnight, patience), the seasoned flour (Folgers can, by feel), the oil temperature (350, thermometer, no guessing), the patience (wait for golden, don't flip early, the chicken is faithful). He listened with the focus that he brings to basketball — total, physical, present. His hands were steady. His first piece was golden. Not perfect — slightly dark on one edge, Mama would have said "watch your heat" — but golden. Good. His.
He held the piece on a paper towel and looked at it and said, "I made this." Not a question. A statement. The same statement that girls at Set the Table have been making for four years: I made this. The statement of someone who has produced something from nothing, who has transformed raw ingredients into nourishment, who has taken a recipe from a dead woman's can and made it live again in their own hands. I made this. Yes, baby. You did.
Curtis came upstairs for lunch. He ate Isaiah's chicken. He looked at Isaiah. He looked at the chicken. He said, "This is right." The same two words he said at the wedding rehearsal. The same approval. The same standard. Curtis Jackson does not grade on a curve. The chicken was RIGHT. Isaiah's chicken. From a boy who built walls and opened doors and walked through them and is now standing at the stove, frying chicken, wearing a GREENS KING apron, earning the approval of a seventy-five-year-old man who has eaten Brenda Jackson's chicken for forty years and knows what right tastes like.
When Curtis said “This is right,” I knew we’d crossed a threshold that no grade, no certificate, no ribbon could ever mark. That kind of approval lives in the kitchen — it always has. So after Isaiah’s golden piece cooled on that paper towel, I pulled out this recipe, the one that pairs chicken with something a little unexpected, a little celebratory, because that morning deserved more than ordinary. Special Scallops and Chicken is the dish I reach for when the moment calls for honoring someone — when the table needs to say you earned this.
Special Scallops and Chicken
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz each)
- 1 lb sea scallops, patted dry
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Sear the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 6–7 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
- Sear the scallops. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add scallops in a single layer. Sear 2 minutes per side without moving them, until a golden crust forms. Transfer to the plate with the chicken.
- Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Once melted, add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let simmer 2 minutes.
- Finish the sauce. Add chicken broth and cream. Simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in lemon juice and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Plate and serve. Return chicken and scallops to the skillet and spoon sauce over the top. Heat through for 1 minute. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 52g | Fat: 19g | Carbs: 5g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 540mg