Seared Scallops With Butternut Squash Food

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 F. Prepare squash and toss in olive oil. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 min, stirring a couple times.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 tbsp butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, shallots and garlic, sauteeing for 4-5 min. Add dry rice and stir.
• Add wine and bring to a boil, then simmer for 4-5 min until wine reduces a bit. Add stock, about a 1/2 cup at a time, stirring enough to keep the rice from sticking to the edges of the pan. Don't ever stop stirring the rice, it will start to turn creamy as stock absorbs. When the stock is almost completely absorbed, add the next 1/2 cup until finished. The rice should be al dente. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper and keep warm on low heat.
• In a small frying pan, heat olive oil over high heat. When oil starts smoking, add scallops to the pan, searing for about 1 min each side. They should develop a good sear on either side. Remove scallops from pan, and wipe pan clean. Lower heat to medium. Add the other 1 tbsp butter and once melted, add chopped sage. Saute for about 30 seconds to a minute until crispy. Remove from pan.
• Serve risotto in pasta bowls. Top with roasted squash, crispy sage and seared scallops. Enjoy!

PAN-FRIED SCALLOPS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH TWO WAYS

Steps:

• To make the purée, heat the butter in a small saucepan and add the squash. Sweat it over a very low heat for 5 mins, then pour over the stock. Cover and gently simmer for 10-12 mins until the squash is very soft.
• Take off the heat and add the parmesan. Use a hand blender or food processor to blitz the squash until smooth, then press through a sieve into another saucepan. Season to taste and set aside.
• To make the warm salad, trim the squash into a neat block, then neatly dice the flesh into cubes no larger than 1cm. Heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the squash for 10 mins, or until tender and coloured, then tip onto a plate.
• Place the pan back on the heat and gently fry the bacon for 10 mins, or until crisp and brown. Add the onion and cook for 2 mins to soften in the fat, then add the capers and squash, drizzle over the sherry vinegar and toss together for 1 min. Off the heat, stir in the chives and the rest of the oil, then tip everything into a bowl and keep warm.
• Have the scallops to hand as you will need to work fast when cooking them. Clean out the frying pan and place it back on the heat with a drizzle more oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, carefully lay the scallops in the pan one at a time, like points on a clock face, starting at 6 o'clock, so you remember which one went in first.
• Scallops take very little time to cook, so by the time the last one is in the pan, the first will be brown and ready to turn over. Flip all the scallops over and give them about 1 min more, then lift onto kitchen paper on a plate to drain the oil. With the salad and the purée still warm, you are now ready to plate up.
• Spoon half the warm salad down the middle of each plate. Overlap 6 pieces of scallop along the salad. Use a spoon to swipe the purée around the outside of the food. Drizzle everything with a touch more oil, and you are now ready to serve.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, oregano, thyme and lemon pepper. Roll scallops in flour mixture until lightly coated on all sides.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet or frying pan over high heat. Add 4 scallops to the pan and sear on all sides (about 2 minutes for each side). After turning scallops, add 1 tablespoon parsley and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Remove scallops from pan and place on a plate in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Repeat until remaining scallops are cooked, tossing each batch with parsley and lemon juice.