Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Seared Scallops.


 
  Scallops are on the menu today.
I love these meaty little morsels.


There is some prep work involved.
First rinse them off. 
Look for that rubbery little "foot"
on the side of the scallop and remove it.
This is the abductor muscle.
It's a rectangular tag of tissue on the side of the scallop
and it has a different "feel" than the rest of the scallop.
It's tough and chewy.
If you look closely, the grain runs opposite
of the fibers in the scallop.
Simply pinch and pull it off.
It detaches easily.

 Turn your scallops to the side
and look for a tough little appendage.
You can see that little muscle on the right side.
  
 Remove it.

 
Lay the scallops on a paper towel and pat dry.

The only seasoning I'm using on these is
a sprinkling of Old Bay seasoning
and a few grinds of pepper.
Right before searing,
I dusted the scallops with cornstarch.



I poured a thin film of peanut oil in a heavy skillet
and heated over medium high to about 400°.
Place the scallops in the hot oil
and sear about 1 1/2 minutes each side.
These are large scallops.

 After searing both sides,
remove scallops from pan.

Reduce heat to medium
and deglaze pan with juice of one lemon
and a splash of wine.
About 1/2 cup total.

Stir up the goody bits
and reduce the liquid a bit to concentrate the flavors.

Stir in a tablespoon of unsalted butter for richness.
Spoon sauce onto plate or over scallops
when serving.






I served the scallops with a side of Lundberg black japonica rice,
which I, of course, tarted up.
I cooked the rice according to package directions.
Takes about 40 minutes.
Then I added in some corn cut right off the cob
along with some black beans I already had cooked.
I seasoned with a sprinkling of cumin.

Give it some green loving - basil and parsley -
and you're good to go.


Enjoy!

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