Warm Salad Of Seared Scallops Haricots Verts And Bell Peppers In Walnut Vinaigrette Food

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CREAMY SUMMER SUCCOTASH

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until well browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook, stirring often, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Add the corn and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the corn is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Combine 1/2 cup of the corn mixture with the heavy cream in a blender. Blend until smooth and reserve.
• Add 1 more tablespoon of the oil to the skillet with the remaining corn mixture and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the haricots verts and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the haricots verts are bright green and crisp tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, reserved corn puree and pancetta. Cook until the mixture is bubbling and warmed through, about 1 minute. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside and keep warm over low heat.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and sear until just cooked through, about 1 minute more.
• Stir half the torn basil into the corn mixture, then spoon the succotash onto plates. Top with the seared scallops and serve with more torn basil on top.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH SWEET POTATO 'RISOTTO' AND CHANTERELLES TRUFFLE-HARICOT VERTS SALAD

Steps:

• It is important that the sweet potato 'risotto' dice are all the same size. Traditional risotto cooking technique is used. In a 2 quart casserole, first saute the shallots in butter and season. Add the sweet potato and saute. Slowly add the hot chicken stock, one ladle at a time. Only add more stock after the previous ladle is fully absorbed. Continue adding stock until the 'risotto' gets creamy, but not mushy. The individual grains of 'risotto' should remain distinct.
• Season the scallops with salt and pepper. In very hot saute pan, coat with oil and sear the scallops until brown. Flip scallops and brown other side. Total cooking time should be about 8 minutes. Wipe pan out, return to high heat, coat with canola oil, add garlic and ginger and saute until soft. Add chanterelles and season. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes.
• HARICOTS VERTS SALAD: In a stainless steel bowl, mix lemon juice, truffle oil and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss vinaigrette with the haricots verts. Check for seasoning. Garnish with chives.
• FUNKY SWEET POTATO GARNISH: Wrap the sweet potato hair around a slice of purple potato. In a 300-degree fryer, fry until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Salt to taste and drain well.
• PLATING: Using a ring mold or pvc pipe, fill bottom third with the hot chanterelles, then cover with 'risotto.' Place in the center of a plate. Surround with scallops and top with haricot verts salad. Garnish with truffle oil, chive batons and funky garnish.

SEARED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Place a layer of paper towels on top of a large plate or baking sheet and gently lay the sea scallops on top to rid them of any excess moisture. With the scallops still on the paper towel, grab a large pinch of kosher salt and sprinkle it from a foot or more over the scallops. The height will help distribute the salt evenly.
• Use a pepper grinder to crack fresh black pepper in the same manner, getting every scallop.
• Flip the scallops and season the other side. This is important!
• Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed stainless-steel saute pan over high heat. Do not use nonstick-you'll never achieve the proper caramelization!
• Wait.
• Wait.
• Watch as the pan begins to smoke.
• Now, carefully, because the pan and oil are very hot, use tongs or your fingers to place each scallop individually in the pan, leaving room between them. Once the scallops are in the pan, do not move them or the pan or turn the heat down. You're going to want to, because the pan will be hot and splattering and smoking, but resist! You're getting your hard sear. Don't interfere or the scallops will stick.
• After 2 minutes, use a spatula or tongs to gently turn one of the scallops and assess how dark the sear is. If it's dark brown and caramelized, it's ready to be flipped and seared on the other side for at least 2 minutes more to achieve an identical sear.
• When the scallops have been flipped and seared on both sides, they're fully cooked and ready to eat. Remove them from the pan using tongs or a spatula. Add the butter to the pan and a squeeze of lemon juice and scrape up the bit on the pan to create a sauce. Serve the scallops hot and topped with the pan sauce and another squeeze of fresh lemon juice on top.

SEARED SCALLOP SALAD WITH HARICOTS VERTS AND TRUFFLE OIL

Steps:

• ¬vinegar and shallot in small bowl. Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Cook haricots verts in medium pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Refresh under cold running water. Drain. (Vinaigrette and haricots verts can be made 1 day ahead. Cover each and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
• Mix endive and 2 tablespoons vinaigrette in medium bowl; toss to combine. Let stand 20 minutes. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle scallops with curry powder. Add to skillet and cook 3 minutes; turn over and cook until almost opaque in center, about 2 minutes longer. Place 3 scallops around border of each plate. Using half of haricots verts for each plate, place 3 small bundles of haricots verts between scallops. Mound half of endive mixture in center of each plate. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over haricots verts and scallops. Drizzle 1 teaspoon truffle oil over each salad. Sprinkle salads with chives.
• *Available at Italian markets, specialty foods stores and some supermarkets.

WARM SALAD OF SEARED SCALLOPS, HARICOTS VERTS, AND BELL PEPPERS IN WALNUT VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a saucepan of boiling salted water boil haricots verts until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain beans in a colander and refresh in cold water to stop cooking. Pat beans dry and wrap in a kitchen towel. Beans may be prepared 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Remove tough muscle from side of each scallop if necessary. Halve scallops horizontally and pat dry. Season scallops with salt and pepper.
• In a non-stick skillet large enough to hold scallops in one layer heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté scallops until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer scallops with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.
• In skilled heat 1 tablespoon remaining olive oil until hot but not smoking and sauté bell peppers, stirring, until crisp-tender. Transfer bell peppers with slotted spoon to bowl with scallops.
• In skillet cook shallots in 1 tablespoon remaining olive oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add vinegar, sugar, walnut oil, remaining olive oil, and salt to taste and simmer 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat and let vinaigrette cool 5 minutes.
• Divide radicchio among 8 plates. Add beans and vinaigrette to scallop mixture and toss gently. Divide salad among plates and sprinkle with walnuts.