Dinner

Make Scallops More! Here’s How… Including A Cheesy Cauliflower Puree That’s A Gamechanger.

Published

2 months ago

December 1, 2021

brianbalthazar

Serving scallops is elegant. Cooking them is remarkably simple. Add in this cauliflower puree and you’ll wow everyone.

It’s well documented that my pet peeve is food blogs that ramble on excessively about the food when we all know you just want the recipe. So I’ll try and keep this concise. This is delicious.

Few people seem to serve scallops at a dinner party. But they’re incredibly easy to prepare and when done right (not overcooked) and spiced simply, they are a crowd pleaser.
I like to serve scallops as a first course or an appetizer. A few of these set a nice tone for the rest of the meal, making everything seem a little elevated.
I love a smear or spread of some sort of puree under the scallops. Here I feature cauliflower, but the add-ins give this a delightful creamy, savory taste that will win over even those who dread the vegetable. But that said, if cauliflower isn’t your thing, substitute it with two 12 ounce bags of frozen peas and all the same extra ingredients.

Hope you enjoy!

Scallops with Cheesy Cauliflower Puree

December 1, 2021

by brianbalthazar

Category Dinner Featured Seafood Starters Veggies

Persons

Serving Size

3 - 4 Scallops per person

Ingredients

FOR THE CHEESY CAULIFLOWER PUREE
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup grated or shaved parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
FOR THE SCALLOPS
4-5 large sea scallops per person (totaling 16-20 scallops)
butter
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 cup capers
1 tablespoon thyme leaves

Instructions

Begin with the cauliflower puree. Bring a pot of cauliflower florets to a boil and cook until tender enough for a fork to easily pierce through.
Once the cauliflower is cooked, drain the water put it in a blender.
Add the remaining ingredients for the puree and blend until smooth.
Spread the puree on each individual plate and begin cooking the scallops.
FOR THE SCALLOPS
Place the sea scallops on a paper towel, blotting the tops with another paper towel until both sides are dry.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot.
Add 1 Tbs. oil and 1 tablespoon butter.
Season the scallops with salt.
Arrange the scallops on the pan so they don't touch each other and leave them on the pan for 2 to 3 minutes until browned (the less you move them the better!)
Flip the scallops over and cook another 3 to four minutes. The scallops so look more opaque (not as clear) and the fork should bounce back slightly when they are cooked. Overcook them and they will be very tough. Avoid this!
Once the scallops are cooked, arrange them on each plate on top of the puree. While the pan is still hot, pan fry the capers and 1 tablespoon thyme leaves until hot. (adding additional oil if necessary.)
Sprinkle the caper and thyme mixture onto each plate and serve.