Best Pan Seared Sea Scallops With Cauliflower Purée And Fried Capers Recipe Finecooking Recipes

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS AND CAULIFLOWER PURéE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375°F and place the bacon on a tray lined with baking parchment.
• Bake for about 15 minutes until very crispy. If your bacon is quite fatty, you may need to drain the fat halfway through. Reserve on kitchen paper towel.
• Place the cauliflower into a saucepan with enough milk to just cover it.
• Bring the milk to a boil and simmer on a low heat for about 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft. Leave to cool.
• Purée the mixture until smooth. Sieve for extra smoothness.
• Place back into the saucepan to reheat.
• Season liberally with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper. This is the key to allow them to become crispy.
• Place a frying pan on medium-high heat and add a generous tablespoon of butter.
• Allow the butter to melt and the pan to get hot.
• Fry the scallops for 1-2 minutes on each side depending on the size. The scallops above are quite large so they were 2 minutes each side. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your frying pan.
• Season the scallops with salt and pepper while in the pan.
• Squeeze the bacon in the paper towel into create little bits.
• Chop the parsley.
• Dish out the reheated cauliflower purée to just cover the bottom of your plate. Next, place the scallops on the plate with the garnish. It helps if you have an extra pair of hands to assist with this step.
• Drizzle with good quality olive oil and serve with crisp white wine.

SCALLOPS WITH CAULIFLOWER PUREE, PARSLEY, AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Put cauliflower, shallot, stock, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is soft, 15 to 18 minutes. Working in batches, puree in a food processor, filling no more than 2/3 full each time. Season with salt and pepper. Cauliflower puree can be refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat over low heat until warm, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss Jerusalem artichokes in a medium bowl with about 1 teaspoon oil and a pinch of salt, separating rounds with your fingers. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until light golden brown and crisp, 10 to 20 minutes, checking often and transferring slices to a plate as they brown. Set plate above or near oven to keep warm.
• Stir together parsley, chives, and capers in a small bowl. Pour in remaining 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons oil, and stir. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Set relish aside.
• Preheat broiler, with rack 6 inches from heat. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Add scallops, and turn to coat. Toss with about 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Squeeze lemon over scallops. Broil until scallops are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Spoon 1/2 cup cauliflower puree onto each of 4 plates, and top with 3 scallops. Drizzle with relish, and sprinkle with salt. Top with Jerusalem artichoke chips; serve.

PAN-SEARED LEMON AND GARLIC SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Place scallops in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Combine 5 tablespoons warm butter, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl; whisk until combined. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• At the same time, remove scallops from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, making sure it does not smoke. Brush scallops with garlic mixture and add to the pan. Cook until the bottoms begin to sear and turn golden, about 2 minutes. Flip scallops, brush with garlic mixture, and cook another 2 minutes. Remove scallops from the heat and let them continue to cook while they rest, off the heat, for 5 more minutes. Plate and serve.

PAN-FRIED SCALLOPS WITH CAULIFLOWER VANILLA PURéE

Steps:

• Put the cauliflower, milk, vanilla pod and its seeds into a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for 10 mins until the cauliflower is tender. Drain the cauliflower, reserving the milk and discarding the vanilla pod. Whizz the cauliflower until smooth in a food processor, adding a knob of butter, seasoning and enough reserved milk to make a nice, smooth consistency. This can be made up to a day ahead, then reheated in a pan or microwave.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cover a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper, lay the pancetta on top and cook for 8-10 mins until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper, drizzle with maple syrup and set aside until serving. 3 Fry the porcini in half the olive oil in a hot pan for about 4 mins until starting to brown. Keep warm.
• Heat the remaining oil and butter in a frying pan and season the scallops. Fry the scallops for 1-1½ mins on each side over a high heat until caramelised. To assemble, spoon the purée onto plates, top with porcini, scallops and pancetta, then sprinkle with chives.