“Nage” was a new word for me until very recently. The authoritative Michelin Guide provides a good description: Combining steaming and poaching, the French method of cooking ‘à la nage’ partially submerges seafood in flavorful broth.

If you love seafood, you must one day eat at Le Bernardin in New York. This restaurant, owned by Chef Eric Ripert and Maguy Le Coze, is the penultimate in four-star dining with treasures of the sea. If you can’t get there soon, try their cookbook.

It was this book I opened last week to find a new recipe for some sea scallops I had purchased. There I found a recipe for Sea Scallops in Chive Nage, which — of course — required me to make the time-consuming Nage first.

With some help from my wife, we had a delicious soup, accompanied by a side order of deep-fried eggplant slices and sautéed carrots. The only adjustment I would make next time is to reduce the amount of champagne vinegar a little in the Nage.