Scallops With Cauliflower Puree Parsley And Capers Recipes

SCALLOPS WITH CAULIFLOWER PUREE, PARSLEY, AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Put cauliflower, shallot, stock, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is soft, 15 to 18 minutes. Working in batches, puree in a food processor, filling no more than 2/3 full each time. Season with salt and pepper. Cauliflower puree can be refrigerated up to 2 days; reheat over low heat until warm, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss Jerusalem artichokes in a medium bowl with about 1 teaspoon oil and a pinch of salt, separating rounds with your fingers. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until light golden brown and crisp, 10 to 20 minutes, checking often and transferring slices to a plate as they brown. Set plate above or near oven to keep warm.
• Stir together parsley, chives, and capers in a small bowl. Pour in remaining 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons oil, and stir. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Set relish aside.
• Preheat broiler, with rack 6 inches from heat. Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil. Add scallops, and turn to coat. Toss with about 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Squeeze lemon over scallops. Broil until scallops are just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Spoon 1/2 cup cauliflower puree onto each of 4 plates, and top with 3 scallops. Drizzle with relish, and sprinkle with salt. Top with Jerusalem artichoke chips; serve.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CAULIFLOWER PUREE WITH WALNUT BUTTER

Steps:

• Place the cauliflower and the vegetable stock in a sauce pan then bring to a simmer and cook for 8-12 minutes until the cauliflower is soft.
• Drain the cauliflower well, reserving the cooking liquid.
• Puree the cauliflower using either a handheld immersion blender, food processor or blender. Adding in a little cooking liquid until you have a constancy that you like.
• Season to taste and either divide it up between two covered plates or set aside until needed. (see note 2)
• First ensure the scallops are dry by patting them with paper towel to remove any moisture. Then leave them to sit on a sheet of paper towel.
• Place a heavy non-stick fry pan over a medium high heat and add the oil. Let the oil get smoking hot.
• Season the scallops lightly with salt. Then carefully and quickly add the scallops to the fry pan. Do them individually starting at 12 o'clock and working around the outside of the pan.
• Cook the scallops for 90 seconds on one side.
• Turn the heat off under the pan and add the butter and walnuts to the fry pan.
• Use tongs to gently turn each scallop over into the sizzling butter, again starting at 12 o'clock and working around in the same order you added the scallops. (see note 3)
• Once the butter has stopped sizzling, add 3 scallops to each plate and spoon over the walnut butter.
• Garnish with pomegranate arils and chopped oregano/parsley.
• Serve immediately.

PAN-FRIED SCALLOPS WITH CAULIFLOWER VANILLA PURéE

Steps:

• Put the cauliflower, milk, vanilla pod and its seeds into a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for 10 mins until the cauliflower is tender. Drain the cauliflower, reserving the milk and discarding the vanilla pod. Whizz the cauliflower until smooth in a food processor, adding a knob of butter, seasoning and enough reserved milk to make a nice, smooth consistency. This can be made up to a day ahead, then reheated in a pan or microwave.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cover a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper, lay the pancetta on top and cook for 8-10 mins until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper, drizzle with maple syrup and set aside until serving. 3 Fry the porcini in half the olive oil in a hot pan for about 4 mins until starting to brown. Keep warm.
• Heat the remaining oil and butter in a frying pan and season the scallops. Fry the scallops for 1-1½ mins on each side over a high heat until caramelised. To assemble, spoon the purée onto plates, top with porcini, scallops and pancetta, then sprinkle with chives.

SCALLOPS AND CAULIFLOWER WITH CAPER-RAISIN SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250°F. Combine the capers and raisins in a small saucepan and add 3/4 cup water; simmer gently until the raisins are plump, about 10 minutes. Do not cook rapidly; you don't want to reduce the liquid. Let the mixture cool for a couple of minutes, then purée it in a blender. Return it to the saucepan.
• Meanwhile, use a sharp knife or mandoline to cut the cauliflower florets into 1/4-inch-thick slices; you will need a total of 24 slices. Place 1 tablespoon each butter and oil in a large skillet and sauté the cauliflower over medium high heat; do this in 2 or more batches to avoid crowding (add another tablespoon of butter or oil when necessary.) Season it with salt and pepper as it cooks. Don't turn it too often; you want it to brown nicely. Total cooking time will be about 10 minutes, after which the cauliflower should be brown and crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm in a bowl in the oven.
• Deglaze the pan by heating 1/4 cup water in it and stirring and scraping the bottom over high heat for a minute or two. Add the parsley and pour this juice over the cauliflower; gently stir and return the cauliflower to the oven while you cook the scallops.
• Place 1 tablespoon each butter and oil in another large ovenproof skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the butter foams, add the scallops and cook on one side only until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Again, do this in batches to avoid crowding (adding another tablespoon of butter or oil when necessary). Remove the scallops from the pan as they brown and season with salt and pepper; keep them warm in the oven.
• Reheat the sauce, then add the nutmeg, vinegar, and pepper and salt, if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Spoon a little of the sauce onto each of 4 serving plates. Place 6 scallop pieces, browned side up, on each plate; top each scallop with a piece of cauliflower. Finish with a tiny grating of nutmeg.

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CAULIFLOWER AND BALSAMIC SYRUP

Steps:

• Reduce balsamic vinegar over low heat until it is the consistency of syrup, about 1/4 cup.
• Keep warm.
• Cook cauliflower florets for about one minute in boiling salted water, then put on ice to stop the cooking and retain color.
• Reserve one cup of the florets.
• Put the other cup into a saucepan, cover it with 1/4 cup of cream and cook for about 8 minutes.
• Puree in a blender or push through a fine sieve and keep warm.
• Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small sauté pan, and when heated add the scallops that have been seasoned with salt and pepper.
• Cook over moderately high heat, high enough to get a nice caramelized sear, on each side for 1-3 minutes, until cooked through.
• In another small sauté pan, brown 1 1/2 tablespoons butter slightly, then add the cup of florets that were not pureed.
• Cook for one minute or two browning the cauliflower slightly.
• Add the toasted, slivered almonds, then the capers, golden raisins and chopped parsley.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• In the center of a plate, put half the cauliflower puree.
• Arrange the cauliflower-caper-raisin mixture on top of the puree as a bed for the scallops.
• Top with half the scallops, then drizzle the plate with the reduced balsamic vinegar.
• Repeat with second plate.