Seared Scallops with Crab Buerre Blanc

Grabbed some scallops at the store and came home to make dinner.   After peering in the frig for a few minutes I spied a can of crab and thought I'd create a crab infused buerre blanc to top those lovely little seared sea gems.   Placed on a bed of greens, we had the perfect dinner!

Seared Scallops with Crab Buerre Blanc

Ingredients:

• 1 lb scallops, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced finely
• 8 oz white wine
• 2 oz lemon juice
• 1 T heavy cream
• 12 T cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• salt and pepper
• parsley

Directions:  Start by making the buerre blanc.  In a small pan over high heat add shallots, wine and lemon juice and reduce till it's about 2 tablespoons.   Add the cream and as soon as it starts to bubble, turn the heat to low.   Add the butter 1 knob at a time, whisking to incorporate, until it's all gone.   Remove from heat, add crab, salt and pepper and cover to keep warm.

Rinse all grit from scallops and pat dry.  If scallops are wet, the olive oil will pop.   In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil on high.   You want to get a good sear or crust on the scallops so make sure the oil is hot and the scallops are dry. Season with salt and pepper and place into the pan and leave undisturbed for 2 - 3 minutes, then turn and cook an additional 2 minutes.   Transfer to paper towels to drain.

To plate, start with fresh salad, scallops then top each scallop with a spoonful of the crab buerre blanc.  I finished with parsley and fresh cracked pepper.   Enjoy!

Seared Scallops with Spicy Aioli Sauce

A spicy sauce with quick sauted carrots, jasmine rice and seared scallops - what's not to like about this dish?  I needed to come up with a quick dinner and I pulled these ingredients together.  I used the 90 second microwave style Jasmine Rice which was great and costs less than $3.00 a package.   Quick and easy... add this to your list of  "I must try".

Seared Scallops with Spicy Aioli Sauce

Ingredients:

•  4 carrots, peeled and cut into long quarters
• 15 scallops, washed and patted dry
• sesame oil
• Jasmine Rice
• green onions, finely sliced
• soy sauce
• salt and pepper
• Spicy Aioli Sauce (recipe below)

Directions:   In a small pan, saute carrots in sesame oil until slightly cooked but still crunchy.   Remove and hold to plate.   Make sure you scallops are very dry before searing or the oil will pop and potentially burn you.   In a large pan, add enough sesame oil to cover the bottom and bring to a medium-high heat.   Add the scallops, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.   You are looking to form a nice crust on the bottom of each scallop, then flip over and do the same on the other side.   As the scallops are cooking - follow the heating instructions on the Jasmine Rice package.

Spicy Aioli Sauce:

• 1 C mayonnaise
• 2 T Sriracha Sauce
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 t soy sauce
• 1 t sesame oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:   Mix everything together and taste... adding more hot sauce if desired.   Place in refrigerator until ready to plate.

To Plate:   Place the Aioli Sauce on the bottom of each plate in a decorative fashion.   Add the sauted carrots then top with Jasmine Rice.  Next add the seared scallops, top with scallions and a drizzle of soy sauce.  Serve!

Seared Scallops with French Fried Shallots and Sausage

Scallops are another summertime favorite and this recipe take seared scallops and places them on a bed of greens topped with french fried shallots and small sausage bites with a yummy vinaigrette.

Seared Scallops with French Fried Shallots and Sausage

Ingredients:

• canola oil for frying
• 3/4 C flour
• salt and pepper
• 2 shallots, sliced and rings separated
• 3 T sherry wine vinegar
• 2 t Dijon mustard
• 1/2 C olive oil plus 1 T
• 2 links of any sausage, I like the jalapeno type, diced
• 12 scallops, cleaned and dried
• mixed lettuce
• 2 scallions, sliced thin
• 3 chives, minced

Directions: In a large skillet, heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, toss the shallot rings with the flour, salt and pepper.  Fry the shallots until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.  Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.  In the same skillet, saute the diced sausage until crisp, about 3 minutes.  Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. 


Whisk together the sherry vinegar and Dijon mustard in a bowl.  Whisk in 1/2 C olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.


Heat remaining 1 T olive oil in the skillet used to cook the sausage over high heat.  Making sure the scallops are very dry, season with salt and pepper and sear the scallops until caramelized on both sides, no more than 2 to 3 minutes per side.


Toss the greens in a large bowl with the vinaigrette dressing to coat.  To plate, start with the salad then top with 3 or 4 seared scallops and garnish with the scallions, chives, sausage and french fried shallots.