Sorry it's taken me so long. I honestly forgot about this thread
Anyway, I don't have my recipe book with me. I left it at my parents' house. But, these are two simple recipes I make from time to time. Scallops are meant to be served fairly raw (good scallops anyway), but you can cook them to however you like.
Scallops with Dijon Cream Sauce
Scallops, 6 each
Lemon, 1 each (zested and juiced)
Heavy Cream, 2 TBL
Dijon Mustard, 1 TBL
White Wine, 1 TBL
Tarragon, 1/2 tsp (fresh, minced – or – ¼ tsp dried)
Garlic, 1 tsp (creamed)
Butter, 1 TBL
Honey, 1 tsp (optional)
S&P
- Mix the heavy cream, lemon juice, Dijon and tarragon in a small bowl. Add the honey if you would like a sweeter sauce.
- Remove the foot from each scallop. Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
- Heat a small amount of vegetable oil over high heat in a large sauté pan.
- Add the scallops to the pan when the oil begins to smoke. Do not turn the heat down.
- Sear the first side of the scallops so they are golden brown. Flip the scallops.
- Turn the heat down to medium-high and sear the scallops until they are golden brown. Remove the scallops from the pan and loosely cover in foil.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic. Stir the garlic until it becomes fragrant. Do not burn the garlic.
- Add the white wine to the pan to deglaze it. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get the fond (the bits stuck to the pan). Cook until the white wine is almost evaporated. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice, Dijon and tarragon mixture to the pan.
- Turn the heat up to high and reduce the sauce until it slightly thickens. It should be slightly thicker than heavy cream.
- Remove the pan from the heat once the sauce has thickened. Add the butter and swirl the pan in your hand until it melts. The butter must be cold for this to work.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the scallops and eat.
Grilled Scallops with Grilled Pineapple Salsa
Scallops, 20 each
Honey, 2 TBL
Pineapple, 1 each
Jalapeno, 1 each
Red Onion, 1 each (small dice)
Mango, 1 each (small dice)
Garlic, 1 clove (minced)
Butter, 2 TBL (melted)
- Preheat a grill to 400 degrees.
- Remove the foot from each scallop. Brush the scallops with honey so they are lightly coated. Warm the honey if it is too thick. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cut the pineapple into 1” thick slices. Reserve one slice.
- Brush the pineapple slices with butter and put them on the grill. Put the jalapeno on the grill too.
- Cook the pineapple until you see grill marks. Flip and cook the other side until you see grill marks. Cook the jalapeno until the skin turns black. You will need turn the jalapeno as it cooks to char each side of the skin.
- Put the jalapeno in a small bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the bowl sit for 10 minutes. The heat from the jalapeno will create steam which stays trapped inside the bowl, thanks to the plastic wrap. The steam cooks the jalapeno and releases the skin from the meat of the pepper. Put the jalapeno under cold running water and rub it with your thumbs to remove the skin.
- Cut the grilled pineapple into small dice. Cut the roasted jalapeno in half and remove the seeds. Cut the jalapeno into small dice.
- Add the grilled pineapple, roasted jalapeno, red onion and garlic to a bowl.
- Add the reserved slice of pineapple to a food processor. Puree the pineapple until it is liquefied. Add the mango and puree until smooth.
- Add the puree mixture to the bowl and mix. Taste the salsa. If it is too sweet for your liking, add red wine vinegar a tiny bit at a time until the sweetness is balanced out with some tartness.
- Grill the scallops on both sides until they are medium-rare. The honey will caramelize, so it may appear as if the scallops are burning. Don't worry; it should look that way. Serve with the salsa.