SEARED CURRIED SCALLOPS WITH CUCUMBER SAUCE AND SALMON PEARLS
Ingredients
Cucumber Sauce
- 1 1 1medium cucumber, hothouse variety
- 1/4 .25 .25cup CUP_USVolumeItalian parsley leaves
- 1/3 .33 .33cup CUP_USVolumerice wine vinegar
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 2 2egg yolks
- 1 1 1teaspoon TEASPOON_USVolumesugar
- 1/4 .25 .25cup CUP_USVolumelight sesame oil
- 1/4 .25 .25cup CUP_USVolumealmond oil
Curried Scallops
- 6 6 6sea scallops, side muscles removed
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 .50 .50cup CUP_USVolumecurry powder
- 1 1 1cup CUP_USVolumeall-purpose flour
- 2 2 2tablespoons TABLESPOON_USVolumepeanut oil
- 1 1 1tablespoon TABLESPOON_USVolumebutter
Garnish
- 1 1/2 1.5 1.5bunches watercress, to garnish, optional
- 6 6 6tablespoons TABLESPOON_USVolumesalmon caviar
- 1 1 1tablespoon TABLESPOON_USVolumesnipped fresh chives, for garnish
- Chive flowers, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- With a paring knife, cut the dark green skin from the cucumber in thick strips. Coarsely chop the skin. Reserve the remaining cucumber for another use. In a blender, put the cucumber skin pieces, parsley, and vinegar, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Add the egg yolks and sugar and blend for 30 seconds. With the blender running, pour in the oils in a slow, steady stream to form a thick, creamy sauce. Season to taste with a little more salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer the sauce to a nonreactive bow, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Season the scallops with salt and pepper and set aside. Put the curry powder in a small, dry sauté pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it becomes very aromatic, about 30 seconds. Immediately transfer the curry powder to a shallow bowl or plate. Add the flour and stir well. Dredge the scallops all over in the curry-flour mixture, shaking off any excess. Set them aside on a clean plate.
- Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the peanut oil and heat it until almost smoking. Add the scallops and sauté them, undisturbed, until their undersides are golden brown, about 30 seconds. With tongs, turn the scallops over; add the butter and sauté the scallops until their other sides are browned, about 30 seconds more. Remove them to drain briefly on paper towels.
- If using scallop shells for serving, place a small mound of watercress in the centers of 6 plates and nestle a scallop shell in each mound. Spoon the sauce into each shell; or, if you have not scallop shells, spoon a pool of sauce on each serving plate. Place a sautéed scallop in the center of the sauce. Spoon some salmon caviar on top of each scallop and flowing down into the sauce. Garnish with chives and, if available, chive flowers.
ABOUT THIS RECIPE
One large, plump sea scallop on a bed of beautiful green sauce makes a brilliant way to start a meal. Be sure to tear off the tough little flap of side muscle from each scallop before cooking. If you can find scallop shells for serving, use them, using a small mound of watercress leaves or other greens to steady the shell on the serving plate; if not, simply choose a pretty plate whose color contrasts prettily with the green sauce and golden brown scallop, and omit the bed of watercress.