For my first recipe of 2012, I present to you Scallop Salad with Oranges & Persimmons. This is a good representation of my cooking: colorful, quick, delicious, and imprecise.
You can make this recipe on a whim, it's great for one or a crowd, and there aren't really precise measurements. It won't take you any longer to make this dish than it will take you to eat it: a win in my book.
Here's what happened. I decided to stay in for New Year's Eve, make a delicious meal and watch a movie. The plan was to make my favorite Russian potato salad, open a bottle of Prosecco and sear some scallops. By the time I chopped, cooked and mixed the ingredients for the potato salad, I was exhausted. The scallops would have to wait their turn and be cooked another day.
makes 1 portion
Ingredients
olive oil for sauteing
5 scallops
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon orange juice {see below}
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon mustard
salad greens
1 orange, segmented {squeeze the extra juice and keep it for the salad dressing}
1 ripe persimmon, cut into segments
Directions
1. To cook scallops, make sure they are completely dry: dab them with a paper towel. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a pan, add olive oil, allow the oil to heat, then add the scallops. Do NOT move them around. Allow the scallops to cook on one side for two to three minutes. Flip them and cook on the other side for two to three minutes. They should be firm to the touch.
2. Make the salad dressing by whisking together the olive oil, orange juice and mustard. Season with salt & pepper.
3. Dress the salad greens with the dressing and arrange on a plate.
4. Arrange orange and persimmon segments on a plate. Add scallops in the middle and drizzle with a bit more of the salad dressing.
Here are a few more photos: maybe one of them will be accepted by the very picky TS and FG :)
Hope everyone had a great New Year celebration. What was your first meal of 2012?
I do not like scallops one bit... but I can definitely appreciate the citrus and bright colors in this salad. Hoep your photos get accepted!
ReplyDeleteNot one bit? Sigh. You can make the same salad and substitute shrimp!
ReplyDeleteOhhh I bet one of those photos will be accepted..they are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLooks like another delicious salad. I never thought of adding scallops to a salad before. Since you made the photo comment, I must respond. I love the framing of your photos and food arrangement, but the focus always seems to be a tiny bit off.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I’m glad you liked the salad. I don’t understand 100% what you mean about the focus being a tiny bit off…are the photos not sharp? But I’m happy you like the composition ;)
ReplyDeleteAny tips on shopping for scallops? Or any other seafood for that matter - I love seafood but I find buying it rather intimidating...
ReplyDeleteMake sure they smell like the ocean and not like dead fish.
ReplyDeleteThey should be pearly white and not sleezy.
If you are buying a whole fish, the eyes should be clear.
You can always ask the person behind the counter for help.
When you do buy seafood, ask for a bag of ice: this will keep the seafood cold by the time you’ll get home.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have other questions.
Yummy, I adore scallops! They're so good with citrus.
ReplyDeleteMy first meal of 2012 was eggs (breakfast), followed by sushi. Not such a good start with the home coking. ;)
I love the combination of flavors, I never thought that scallops could go well with oranges since I always make min with bacon, but it your salad looks so good
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I'm adding this to my list of things to try soon. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLovely....
ReplyDeleteI love scallops but some how hardly make them at home, always scared of over-cooking them...
This salad looks perfect, I am so making it soon, I can do this today with shrimps... :-) No scallops at hand.
Shrimp would be a great substitution!
ReplyDeleteI think I’ve made scallops at home a total of 3 times: but it’s so worth it.