Lime Seared Scallops With Spinach And Caramelized Walnuts Food

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH GINGER-LIME BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash sweet potatoes and wrap them tightly in foil. Roast until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (If you are using larger sweet potatoes, they may require 15 minutes more in the oven.)
• Using a paring knife, remove the small hard "foot" from the edge of each scallop. Pat scallops dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Put on a medium pot of salted water to boil for the greens.
• Meanwhile, make the ginger butter: Combine butter, ginger, chile and lime zest and juice and stir together until well incorporated. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
• Take a cast-iron skillet large enough to hold the scallops without crowding and place over medium-high heat. Add a film of olive oil. When the oil is nearly smoking, add the scallops in one layer and let them sizzle. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for at least 5 minutes. Use a small spatula to check the scallops as they brown, allowing them to color gradually. They should be quite crisp and well caramelized. Turn off heat and flip scallops. Leave in pan until firm to the touch.
• While the scallops are cooking, blanch the bok choy: Cook it for 1 minute in the salted boiling water, then drain and blot on a kitchen towel. Keep warm.
• Remove and place scallops, browned side up, onto warmed serving plates. Surround with the bok choy leaves and halved or sliced sweet potatoes.
• Quickly warm the butter in the cast-iron pan and spoon over everything. Sprinkle with cilantro if desired.

LIME SEARED SCALLOPS WITH SPINACH AND CARAMELIZED WALNUTS

Steps:

• For the walnuts, arrange walnuts in a dry nonstick pan over medium heat.
• Sprinkle them with sugar, and cook until they are shiny and brown, 4 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan continuously.
• Transfer to a small plate and set aside.
• For the scallops, whisk together 2 teaspoons of the oil, tarragon, zest, garlic, shallots, and half of the lime juice in a wide, shallow dish.
• Add scallops, toss to coat, cover and refrigerate for no longer than 30 to 45 minutes.
• Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to a large skillet over medium and heat for about 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, drain scallops from the marinade, and rest them on a paper towel for a moment to dry.
• Gently add scallops to the skillet, trying not to crowd them together. Do not move them, as that makes the searing process more difficult.
• Cook them on one side for 2 to 3 minutes, until the scallops are browned.
• Turn them over, and repeat the process.
• When the scallops are cooked through and opaque, deglaze the pan by adding the rest of the lime juice over the scallops.
• Remove the scallops and the accumulated pan juices, and place them on a covered plate to keep warm.
• For the spinach, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add garlic and cook until just lightly browned.
• Immediately add the spinach and cook briefly until the leaves are wilted.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Form a nest of spinach on each of 6 plates.
• Place a portion of the cooked scallops over the spinach, add a little of the pan juices, and top with the caramelized walnuts. Serve immediately.

SAUTéED SCALLOPS WITH MUSHROOMS & SPINACH SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan. Once sizzling, add the mushrooms and fry for just a min or two before adding the spinach. Cook on a high heat for about 1 min, allowing the leaves to wilt and soften. Drain the leaves and mushrooms in a sieve or small colander set over a bowl, pressing them gently in the sieve to release the juices (the juices will provide the base for the sauce, so don't discard them). Keep warm to one side.
• Heat the oil in a separate clean frying pan. When very hot, add the scallops. Sauté for a couple of mins without disturbing them at all, then add a knob of butter to the pan. Turn the scallops, season with salt and pepper, then baste with the sizzling butter. Continue to cook for a further couple of mins until the scallops are ready.
• While sautéing the scallops, return the saved spinach juices to the pan the spinach and mushrooms were cooked in, then whisk in the remaining knob of butter to create the sauce. Season with salt and pepper and a grating of nutmeg.
• Now finish in style: Arrange spinach and mushrooms on plates or in bowls, sit the scallops on top, then spoon the nutmeg spinach sauce around.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan and drain well on paper towels. Remove all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet.
• Rinse scallops and pat dry. Combine flour and cajun seasoning; add scallops and toss to coat.
• Cook scallops in hot drippings in skillet about 6 minutes or until browned, turning once.
• Remove scallops from skillet. Deglaze skillet with white wine.
• Add spinach to liquid in skillet. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Add vinegar and toss to coat evenly.
• Return scallops to skillet and heat through. Crumble bacon and sprinkle over scallops.