Thursday, July 28, 2011

Copycat Brooklyn Cafe Sun Dried Tomato Seared Scallops

Jud loves sea scallops so whenever I don't know what to cook, I think of sea scallops. They are really expensive, but he is definately worth it. I found this recipe while searching the internet for some copycat recipes for other things. I knew Jud would like it because he's just a scallops kind of guy.  I had some fish stock left over that I had in the freezer, so I used that for the liquid in the couscous. I added some toasted almonds and dried cherries.  Good combination.

Printable Recipe:
Ingredients:
10 sea scallops (I only made 7)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup & 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
1 tomato, diced
1 bunch fresh basil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 zucchini, julienned (I only used 1)
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1. If sun dried tomatoes are moist, dry in 200 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until dry.  I thought mine were dry, because they were not packed in oil, but when I put them in the blender, they were too moist. I would suggest drying them in the oven.
2. Chop sun-dried tomatoes in blender until it becomes a smooth powder, set aside in a separate bowl.
3. After you have removed the sun-dried tomatoes, don't worry about getting all of it out, add basil, orange juice, and lemon juice to blender. Blend on moderate speed while drizzling 1/4 cup of olive oil in the mixture.
4. Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic. Saute for 15seconds, do not burn, then add zucchini. Saute together, stirring frequently for 2 minutes until zucchini softens. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomato and remove from heat and put in a bowl to save for later.
5. Use paper towel to clean out skillet, then add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan.  Season the scallops with salt, pepper, and sun-dried tomato powder. Add scallops to pan and cook 3 minutes on one side before flipping.  Cook an additional 2 minutes on the other side. Transfer to a paper towel.
To serve:
Mound zucchini in the middle of two dinner plates. Place 5 scallops around each mound. Drizzle vinaigrette around the dish. Garnish with fresh basil sprig and a sprinkling of tomato powder.
Because my sun-dried tomatoes were not dry enough, it wasn't a powder. When I put it on the scallops to cook, it just burned.  So I just sprinkled some on the top of the dish and thought it was great. Next time I will dry my sun-dried tomatoes in the oven for 15 minutes.

No comments: