Seared Scallops with Root Vegetable

Name: Seared Scallops with Root Vegetable
Yield: Serves 3 as a large appetizer
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 cup mashed root vegetable (I used sweet potato, but I think this recipe would work just as well with any root vegetable you have on hand); 1/2 tsp maple syrup; 1 cup vegetable/chicken stock; 3 sprigs thyme; 2 bay leaves, cracked; 2 sprigs sage; 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped; 1 shallot, roughly chopped; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 1 tbsp cold butter, chopped; to taste Salt and pepper,; 9 bay scallops (dry, fresh not frozen, if you can get them); 2 tbsp butter, divided; 2 tsp avocado (or other) oil, divided; Salt and pepper; 1 tbsp avocado (or other) oil; 6 sage leaves; 1 peeled apple, squeezed with lemon juice to prevent browning, to create 3 long peeled curls

Katherine @katherinecooks

Served with fried sage and a curl of peeled apple. I used leftover mashed sweet potatoes, but you could use leftover squash, potato, parsnip, even cauliflower to build the base of the gorgeous purée. An immersion blender turns this recipe into something that looks WAY harder than it actually is.

Katherine @katherinecooks

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Ingredients

Serves 3 as a large appetizer

For the Purée
1 cupmashed root vegetable (I used sweet potato, but I think this recipe would work just as well with any root vegetable you have on hand)
1/2 tspmaple syrup
1 cupvegetable/chicken stock
3 sprigsthyme
2bay leaves, cracked
2 sprigssage
1 clovegarlic, roughly chopped
1shallot, roughly chopped
1/2 cupdry white wine
1 tbspcold butter, chopped
to tasteSalt and pepper,
For the Scallops
9bay scallops (dry, fresh not frozen, if you can get them)
2 tbspbutter, divided
2 tspavocado (or other) oil, divided
Salt and pepper
Garnish
1 tbspavocado (or other) oil
6sage leaves
1peeled apple, squeezed with lemon juice to prevent browning, to create 3 long peeled curls

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Steps

1

For the purée: mash roasted root vegetables roughly. Add chicken stock, shallot, garlic, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil.
2

Prepare your herb bundle: add thyme, bay leaves, and sage to some cheese cloth and wrap it up tightly; secure with butcher’s twine. Add to the pot and let simmer.
3

Fry your sage: using avocado oil or olive oil, fry the sage briefly and use tongs to remove onto a paper towel-lined plate.
4

Carefully add the remaining sage oil to the purée. Turn up heat to high, add the wine and boil vigorously until wine smell has dissipated. Remove the herb bundle. Allow to cool slightly. Blend using immersion blender until totally smooth. Add butter, one chunk at a time, while emulsifying. Transfer pot back to stove and keep warm on lowest setting.
5

Warm the plates in the oven at its lowest setting.
6

Make sure the scallops are completely dry using paper towel (but don’t squish them). Salt and pepper both sides.
7

Add oil to two small pans or one large one on medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the butter. When the foaming subsides, add the scallops, one at a time, in a circle starting at the top so you remember which one went down first. After about 1-2 mins, flip the scallops.
8

Spoon purée onto heated plates. Carefully top with three scallops, garnish with fried sage and a curl of apple peel. Enjoy!