SNAP-PEA-AND-JICAMA SALAD WITH SEA SCALLOPS

Snap-Pea-and-Jicama Salad With Sea Scallops image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Time 20m

Yield 6 first-course or 4 main-course servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1/2 cup coarsely chopped basil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mint
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound (about 3 cups) snap peas
1 small (about 3/4 pound) jicama, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
1 1/2 cups mung-bean sprouts
18 large sea scallops (about 1 1/2 pounds), sliced in half and patted dry
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Thinly sliced basil leaves for garnish
Thinly sliced mint leaves for garnish

Steps:

To make the vinaigrette, combine the basil, mint and lime juice in a blender and process, stopping twice to scrape down the sides, until combined. With the blender running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Add the sugar, salt and pepper.
To make the salad, bring a large saucepan that is 2/3 full of salted water to a boil. Add the snap peas and cook until they just begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge the peas into cold water to stop the cooking. When cool, drain again and combine with the jicama and mung-bean sprouts.
Sprinkle the scallops with 1 teaspoon salt. Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Sear the scallops until they are browned and just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.
Toss the salad with half of the dressing and transfer it to a serving platter or individual serving plates. Top the salad with the scallops, then drizzle both the scallops and the salad with the remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle with the mint and basil.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 349, UnsaturatedFat 17 grams, Carbohydrate 20 grams, Fat 23 grams, Fiber 8 grams, Protein 17 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 781 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams