Seared Scallops Fennel Salad Kumquat Tarragon Vinaigrette Recipe 55

Steps:

• For the vinaigrette: In a small pot, add the orange juice and tarragon sprig. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and reduce the juice by half. When reduced, remove the tarragon sprig, and chill the juice in the refrigerator. When cooled, add the white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Whisk together. Slowly drizzle the grapeseed oil while whisking until you get an equal balance of oil to juice. Taste, then adjust the seasoning if necessary. Put aside.
• For the gastrique: In a small pot, add the sugar, apple cider vinegar and some salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the mango, and simmer for 15 minutes. Use an immersion blender, blender or even a hand mixer to blend well. Then strain through a fine mesh sieve. (If you don't have a fine sieve, you can use a regular strainer lined with cheese cloth or a clean dish towel.) You want to remove any little bits of mango that the blender missed. Put in the refrigerator to cool.
• For the lobster: Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the white vinegar. Drop in the lobster tails and simmer them until they just begin to turn bright orange/red. Let cool and remove the lobster meat from the shell. Chop the meat into pieces, just smaller than bite size.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the garlic and shallots. Saute until translucent. Add the remaining butter and melt. Add a good pinch of salt. Add the lobster and stir to coat with the butter. Simmer for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and keep warm.
• For the crostini: Preheat the oven broiler. Cut a clove of garlic in half, and rub both sides of the bread with the cut sides of the garlic. Brush one side of the bread with olive oil, and sprinkle very lightly with herbes de Provence and salt. (If you don't have HDP, you can use a mixture of dried thyme, basil, rosemary, marjoram, sage, savory and fennel seeds, or any one of those herbs you happen to have.) Lay the bread on a cookie sheet and reserve.
• To assemble: Start with the scallops. Pat your scallops dry with paper towels. They MUST be dry in order to get a nice sear and crust on the outside. (If you don't, you'll have a scallop just steeping in its own liquid, getting mushy, with no color, sear or flavor.)
• With a paring knife, score the top of the scallops with a crisscross. You want to just score the outer layer, 1/16-inch deep. Sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper. In a scorching hot pan with grapeseed oil, put your scallops in scored-side down. Grapeseed oil has a very high smoke point, which allows you to cook at higher temperatures for longer before it starts to smoke and burn.
• The scallops will tell you when it's ok to lift them and take a peek at your sear. When you're able to pick the scallops up with no resistance at all, you can then take a peek to see if you're ready to flip it. You want a nice rich golden brown color on your scallop. Once you've achieved the proper color, flip your scallops and remove the pan from the heat.
• Put your crostini in the oven to toast.
• Add the vinaigrette to your greens a little at a time. You want to just cover the greens with the vinaigrette, we don't want to drown it. Think light.
• Now on each serving plate, place a silver-dollar-size portion of the dressed micro greens in the center of the plate. Take a teaspoon of the mango gastrique, and put it on the plate in front of the greens. Then with the back side of the spoon, run it through the middle of the sauce. Take 3 or 4 pieces of the lobster, blot them on a paper towel, then place them in the center of your gastrique schmear. Place your scallop on top of your micro greens. Place 2 crostinis off to the side of the scallop. Then cross 2 whole chives over each plate and you're done.

Steps:

• Puree oil, kumquats, and tarragon in processor. Add vinegar, orange juice concentrate, and mustard; process until just combined. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
• Combine fennel, radicchio, and green onions in large bowl. Add 3/4 cup vinaigrette; toss to combine.
• Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 12 scallops and sauté until golden on both sides and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes total. Transfer sautéed scallops to large plate, then tent with foil. Repeat with remaining butter and scallops.
• Divide salad among 8 plates. Place 3 scallops on top of each. Drizzle scallops with remaining vinaigrette and serve.

Steps:

• Puree oil, kumquats, and tarragon in processor. Add vinegar, orange juice concentrate, and mustard; process until just combined. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.) Combine fennel, radicchio, and green onions in large bowl. Add 3/4 cup vinaigrette; toss to combine. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 12 scallops and sauté until golden on both sides and just opaque in center, about 3 minutes total. Transfer sautéed scallops to large plate, then tent with foil. Repeat with remaining butter and scallops. Divide salad among 8 plates. Place 3 scallops on top of each. Drizzle scallops with remaining vinaigrette and serve. This recipe yields 8 first-course servings.

Steps:

• Drain the spinach in a colander and press it with the back of a spoon or squeeze it to remove liquid. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups spinach.) Set aside. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the shrimp and scallops, cover and let sit off the heat until the seafood is opaque in the center, about 8 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the seafood to a bowl and cover to keep warm. Return the water to a boil and stir in the orzo with 1 teaspoon of salt, if desired. Boil uncovered until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain. Cover and set aside if not yet ready to use. Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 6 minutes. Pour from the pan and set aside. Heat the oil in the pan, add the garlic and cook until tender, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and orzo and stir until heated through. Stir in the seafood, pine nuts and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. This recipe yields 6 servings.

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Place half of the scallops in the skillet without crowding; cook until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove scallops to a plate. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in the skillet, and cook remaining scallops. Remove to plate.
• Wipe out skillet, and return skillet to medium heat. Pour in wine, and boil 1 or 2 minutes, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Reduce heat to low, and whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter; just softening butter to form a smooth sauce. Stir in salt, lemon zest, and tarragon. Pour sauce over scallops.

Steps:

• Cut the fennel into quarters and steam it until it is just tender (about 15 minutes).
• Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy skillet and add the fennel. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and cook it, stirring occasionally, until it is slightly browned on all sides.
• Soften the shallots and the garlic in the remaining olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Saute the scallops in two batches over high heat, browning them lightly on both sides. Remove them to a warm bowl.
• Add the orange juice, balsamic vinegar and rosemary leaves. Scrape up the cooking juices and simmer them until you have a light glaze. Pour the sauce over the scallops and toss them. Correct seasoning and serve.

Steps:

• Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (total).
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sear scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.
• Add shallot, wine, and vinegar to skillet and boil, scraping up brown bits, until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add juices from platter and if necessary boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Reduce heat to low and add 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until almost melted, then add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and swirl until incorporated and sauce has a creamy consistency. Stir in tarragon and salt to taste; pour sauce over scallops.