Seared Cumin Sea Scallops With Cauliflower And Leeks Recipes

Steps:

• For the butter, mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, then beat well with a wooden spoon until there are no lumps of butter left. Spoon onto a large sheet of cling film, then wrap tightly in a sausage shape. Chill until firm (or put in the freezer if you're short of time).
• Set up a pan with a steamer or suspend a heatproof colander over the top of a pan. Cut the leeks in half lengthways, then slice into long strips, about the thickness of tagliatelle. Cover, then steam for 6 mins until tender, with no signs of squeakiness. Season, then set aside.
• Dry the scallops on kitchen paper and season. Heat a heavy-based pan, then add the oil. Once hot, add the scallops, keeping them close together - this helps the sides to stay straight and tall rather than sagging. Sizzle for 2 mins until caramelised and you can see the heat creeping up the outside. Turn over with a palette knife, then fry for 1 min more. Take off the heat, then add a few good slices of the butter to the pan, spooning over the scallops as it melts.
• To serve, wind a nest of warm leeks in the centre of 4 plates, top each with 3 scallops, spoon over the buttery sauce (it looks smart trickled around the plate), then sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Squeeze over a little lemon juice before you tuck in.

Steps:

• Soak sliced leeks in a large bowl of water, agitating them occasionally to dislodge any sand, then drain leeks and pat them dry.
• Toss scallops with cumin seeds and salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear scallops until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a bowl with tongs. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet (do not clean) until hot but not smoking, then sauté cauliflower and leeks with salt to taste, stirring until golden. Add wine and water and simmer, covered, until vegetables are almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add cream and scallops with juices in bowl and simmer, uncovered, until liquid is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in cilantro and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and sauté until tender but not brown, about 20 minutes. Add Champagne and boil until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 4 minutes. Transfer leek mixture to strainer set over bowl. Press on leeks to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer leeks to small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return liquid to same skillet. Add cream and boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Transfer sauce to bowl; cool 1 hour.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Working in batches, add scallops to skillet and sauté until just cooked through and golden brown, about 3 minutes per side for each batch. Transfer to plate.
• Spoon leeks in 5 small mounds around rim of each plate, spacing equally. Top each mound with 1 scallop. Stir caviar and tarragon into sauce. Spoon sauce into center of each plate.