Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Seared Scallops With Blood Orange Salsa and Polenta

I wanted to make something different with the blood oranges for our entree for Oscar Night. I picked up some scallops on my weekly shopping trip, and started creating from there. I wanted to create a sauce that would really capitalize on their color. I had jalapenos on hand (as always), so I thought a fresh salsa would work with the scallops. And we love polenta with just about anything, so this was a really quick and easy dish, but very dramatic on the plate. Perfect for a night of "star-gazing". 

Seared Scallops With Blood Orange Salsa and Polenta 

For the salsa: 
4 blood oranges, peeled and cut into sections, remove as much of the membrane as you can
1 large jalapeno or 2 small, seeded and roughly chopped 
1 large scallion, roughly chopped 
3 tablespoons honey 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon pepper 
Place oranges, jalapeno and scallions in a food processor, and blend until mostly chopped together. Pour into a bowl and mix in remaining ingredients. Set aside.

For the polenta: 
5 cups water 
2 teaspoons salt 
1 cup polenta 
3 tablespoons butter 
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese 
In a large pot, mix together water, salt and polenta. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring regularly to avoid lumps. Continue to stir until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese. 

For the scallops: 
1 dozen fresh scallops 
Salt and pepper 
Olive oil 
Make sure scallops are dry and at room temperature. Salt and pepper both sides generously. Heat a saute pan over high heat, and add olive oil. Sear scallops 2-3 minutes on each side until golden, and remove from heat. Place polenta on plate, top with scallops, then salsa. 




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