Scallops Okra And Tomatoes In Coconut Curry Sauce Recipes

SCALLOPS, OKRA, AND TOMATOES IN COCONUT CURRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim tops of okra, being careful not to cut into pods.
• Cut an X in bottom of each tomato and immerse tomatoes in a 2-quart saucepan of boiling water for 10 seconds. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon (save boiling water) to a bowl of ice and cold water to cool, then peel. Add 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water, then add okra and cook, uncovered, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain okra in a colander, then plunge into same ice water to stop cooking. Drain okra and pat dry with paper towels.
• Quarter tomatoes lengthwise and seed, then cut each quarter lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide strips.
• Purée onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeño (to taste), and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a blender.
• Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Brush a 12-inch nonstick skillet with 1/2 teaspoon oil and heat over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke. Brown scallops in 2 batches, turning once, about 4 minutes total. Transfer scallops as browned with tongs to a plate and keep warm, covered with foil. (Scallops will not be cooked through.)
• Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to skillet and reduce heat to moderate. Add purée carefully (it may splatter), then add curry powder. Boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and remaining 3/4 cup broth and bring to a simmer. Add tomato strips and simmer, stirring frequently, until tomatoes are softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Stir in scallops and okra and simmer until scallops are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Divide scallops, vegetables, and sauce among 4 plates and sprinkle with cilantro.

CURRIED SCALLOPS WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• 1.Core the tomatoes (cut a cone-shaped wedge out of the stem end), then cut them in half horizontally. Gently squeeze out the liquid and shake out most of their seeds. Chop their flesh into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes. While it is heating, sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper and spread the curry powder on a plate.
• 2. Add the oil, then quickly dredge the scallops lightly in the curry powder and add them to the pan. About 2 minutes after you added the first scallop, turn it-;it should be nicely browned (if it is not, raise the heat a bit). When the scallops are all browned and turned, cook for another minute, then add the tomatoes and the cream if you're using it (if you are using yogurt, lower the heat immediately; it must not boil).
• 3. Heat the tomatoes through, then taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Sprinkle with the lime juice, stir in the cilantro, and serve.
• Keys To Success
• SINCE YOU'RE USING a large quantity of curry powder here, it should not be super-hot. (This is obviously a matter of taste, but I prefer a mild, sweet curry.) The powder itself must be fairly fine; if it is too coarse, the resulting crust will be gritty rather than crisp.
• DREDGE THE SCALLOPS lightly in the curry, not as heavily as you would in flour.
• KEEP THE SCALLOPS rare; they're at their best that way, and perfectly safe, as long as they're fresh.