Scallops are a delicious and versatile seafood that can be cooked in a variety of ways. One popular method is to sear them, which gives them a crispy exterior and a tender, juicy interior. When paired with creamy polenta and a rich avocado cream, seared scallops make for a truly luxurious dish. This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide to creating this delicious meal, along with tips for selecting the best scallops and preparing them perfectly.
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SEARED SCALLOPS WITH POLENTA AND AVOCADO CREAM
This seared scallops with polenta is a really impressive dish. It's beautiful but simple and a wonderful dinner party entree. If you can find them, peppadew peppers add a bit of zing, but if you can't, roasted red peppers will work just fine. Shrimp can also be substituted for the scallops, if you prefer. -Katie Pelczar, West Hartford, Connecticut
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h5m
Yield 4 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a large skillet, saute onions in half the butter until tender, 5-7 minutes. Add corn and peppers; cook 4-5 minutes longer. Stir in broth and 1/4 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle boil; slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir with a wooden spoon until polenta is thickened and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan, 15-20 minutes. Stir in cheese. Remove from heat; set aside and keep warm., Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the avocado, 1/4 cup water, cream and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth, 30 seconds. Add additional water as needed to reach desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate until serving., Sprinkle scallops with remaining salt and pepper. In a large skillet, saute scallops in remaining butter until firm and opaque, 1-2 minutes per side. Serve with polenta and avocado cream.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 467 calories, Fat 21g fat (10g saturated fat), Cholesterol 67mg cholesterol, Sodium 1773mg sodium, Carbohydrate 46g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 5g fiber), Protein 24g protein.
SEARED SCALLOPS WITH PANCETTA OVER AVOCADO AND WASABI
Steps:
- Halve the 3 avocados and remove the pits. Spoon out flesh into a food processor and add wasabi, lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste. Process until it's a smooth consistency. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Cook pancetta until crispy and fat has rendered. Remove pancetta from pan reserving the fat and add butter and garlic. Once the butter has melted add the scallops to the pan and gently sear until lightly browned. About 1 minute per side. Spoon some avocado puree on each plate, arrange pancetta on top followed by the seared scallops. Dice your red pepper finely and garnish.
SEARED SCALLOPS, POLENTA, DEMI-GLACE
Provided by Robert Irvine : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 45m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- For the polenta: Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium. Next, add the cornmeal and cook with a stirring motion until thickened, 12 to 15 minutes. Next, reduce the heat to low, add the butter, parsley and thyme and finish cooking until the cream has been absorbed, 3 to 4 minutes. The polenta should be semi-tight and creamy; liquid levels will vary with the moistness of the cornmeal.
- For the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the veal stock to a simmer. Then add the cream and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium and allow further simmering for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and hold for plating.
- For the scallops: Add the oil to a large saute pan over high heat and bring to verge of smoking. During this process, place paper towels down on a flat counter, and then place the scallops on the towels and pat dry.
- Mix the salt and pepper together. Once the pan is hot, sprinkle both sides of the scallops with the salt and pepper mixture. Then add to pan and sear the first side, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and flip to sear the second side for a final 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Once cooked, remove the scallops from the pan and serve atop the polenta. Finish with the demi-glace sauce and garnish with chives
SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CORN CREAM
This recipe for seared scallops on fresh corn cream shows that you can take a few seasonal ingredients, put them together simply and quickly, and produce something pretty special. There are three keys to producing sufficiently seared scallops. First, they must be perfectly dry. Second, the oil goes on the cold scallops, not in the hot pan. Third, your pan must be extremely hot, which means you have to use a very heavy, cast iron or stainless steel pan.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Seafood Shellfish Scallops
Time 35m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Stir corn kernels, chicken broth, 2 tablespoons butter, cayenne pepper, and salt together in a saucepan; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until corn is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Pour corn mixture into a blender no more than half full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth. Pour pureed corn mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a saucepan. Season with salt to taste.
- Toss scallops, Fresno pepper, canola oil, kosher salt, and smoked paprika in a bowl until scallops are completely coated. Separate pepper slices from scallops.
- Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Cook scallops in hot skillet until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the other side until cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Cook and stir sliced peppers on the side of the skillet while the scallops are cooking.
- Remove skillet from heat; transfer scallops to a plate, leaving peppers in hot skillet. Stir water and 1 tablespoon butter into peppers until butter melts. Drizzle lemon juice over peppers; stir to glaze peppers completely.
- Divide corn cream between four bowls. Place 3 scallops over corn puree and top with glazed peppers. Garnish with radish sprouts.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 275.7 calories, Carbohydrate 18.4 g, Cholesterol 63.7 mg, Fat 13 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 23.1 g, SaturatedFat 5.9 g, Sodium 986.8 mg, Sugar 3.3 g
SEARED SCALLOPS WITH AVOCADO AND DAIKON
Make this salad without plating anxiety: Treat the daikon rounds like a deck of cards and let them fall where they may.
Provided by Ignacio Mattos
Yield Makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Toss daikon, vinegar, and yuzu juice in a medium bowl; season with salt. Set aside.
- Season scallops with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add scallops and cook until seared and golden brown but still raw in the center, about 2 minutes per side; transfer to a plate. Let cool slightly, then slice each scallop crosswise into 3 rounds.
- Divide avocado among plates; drizzle with lemon juice and season with salt. Set scallops on avocado and dab them with yuzu kosho. Drizzle grapefruit juice and oil over, top with grapefruit zest, and season with salt. Arrange reserved daikon over scallops.
SEARED SCALLOPS WITH BACON, TOMATO, AND AVOCADO PUREE
This recipe for seared scallops with bacon, tomato, and avocado puree is courtesy of Elizabeth Falkner.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Appetizers
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, agave nectar, vanilla, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in extra-virgin olive oil, while continuing to whisk, until an emulsion has formed. Set vinaigrette aside.
- Remove flesh from avocado and place in the jar of a blender along with 1 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons water, olive oil, and brown butter; blend until smooth.
- Place bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon, turning, until fat has been rendered, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from skillet; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Pour off bacon fat from skillet and discard. Return skillet to stove and place over high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper; add to skillet. Sear scallops 1 minute, add butter and turn scallops; sear 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat.
- Spread a spoonful of avocado puree on each serving plate. Divide scallops evenly between plates; drizzle with vinaigrette. In a medium bowl, add bacon, tomatoes, lovage, and remaining vinaigrette; toss to combine. Divide evenly between plates, season with fleur de sel, and serve immediately.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: Fresh, high-quality scallops, polenta, and avocado will make a big difference in the flavor of your dish.
- Sear the scallops properly: Sear the scallops in a hot skillet until they are golden brown and slightly caramelized on the outside, but still tender and juicy on the inside.
- Make sure the polenta is creamy: Use a good quality polenta and cook it according to the package directions. Add butter, cheese, and milk to make it creamy and flavorful.
- Use ripe avocado: For the avocado cream, use ripe avocado that is creamy and flavorful. Add lime juice, cilantro, and salt to taste.
- Serve immediately: This dish is best served immediately after it is made. The scallops will be tender and juicy, and the polenta and avocado cream will be warm and creamy.
Conclusion:
Seared scallops with polenta and avocado cream is a delicious and elegant dish that is perfect for a special occasion. The scallops are tender and juicy, the polenta is creamy and flavorful, and the avocado cream is light and refreshing. This dish is sure to impress your guests and will make a memorable meal.
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