We love sea scallops but rarely make them at home so this simple but delectable recipe was ideal for us. Just for fun I added candied orange zest which finished the dish with a little flourish. I used stalks of early Spring asparagus with thinly sliced raw fennel and fresh mint dressed in olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to round out the plate. I decided to serve the sea scallops as a starter course so I placed two generous sized diver scallops and a few spoonfuls of the caramel-orange sauce with asparagus on each plate. The scallops cook quickly in a small amount of olive oil over a high heat, about 1-2 minutes on each side. You will see the bottom side has quickly colored as you flip each one over to cook the raw side. The larger thicker size of these diver scallops allows you to achieve an attractively caramelized exterior while maintaining a tender interior similar to cooking a beef steak. I made the orange-caramel sauce and the candied orange zest ahead of time so all I had to do was reheat the sauce while searing the scallops.
The French Fridays recipes we've made can all be found in Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan. They have been fairly simple recipes designed for everyday cooking with clear instructions and have made a flavorsome addition to our weekly menu. Check out the rest of the contributors to the online cooking group, French Fridays with Dorie and see the different takes on this delightful recipe.
Interested in sea scallops? Explore them here. Don't worry they won't bite!
Lovely pictures (and love those plates). The candied zest looks like it would have added just the pop to take these over the edge!
ReplyDeletePatty, you are making me DROOL, woman!!!!!! You know how I love my seafood and diver scallops are one of my favorites. For a moment there I thought those were carrots on top of your scallops, but candied orange zest sounds so much more delicious and creative. Big applause there, my friend. I've never tried making these with orange-caramel sauce before. That sounds absolutely delicious. Your scallops are perfectly seared. Another great dish, sweetie! What did you say your adress was again? ;-)
ReplyDeleteHave a beautiful weekend, Patty!
PS
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing thatscallops link with us. Great information on there.
Sadly the only time I get to eat scallops is on the rare occasion of finding them at a restaurant. Oh the downside of living in a landlocked country:( Yours look so perfect that they are making my stomach growl. Lovely sauce to pair it with.
ReplyDeleteThat's a beautiful plate of food, Patty. It's been so long since I prepared scallops at home. The caramel-orange sauce sounds like something I would really like and no question about the asparagus--my favorite veggie!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a great weekend. :-)
This is a great and elegant starter dish! The scallops are cooked perfectly. The sauce sounds so delicious. The presentation is simple but appetizing. Great dish Patty!
ReplyDeleteI know the scallops won't bite :D hehe
All these scallop recipes popping up.. we love scallops in our house! They look so goood it's not fair!
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Patty--scallops won't bite. But they WILL spit at you when they're sitting in the sink! ;) HA HA! My mom used to go scalloping for bays, thus my experience. As always, your food looks simply GORGEOUS. You are making me want Dorie's book very badly! And a seat at your dining room table, please!
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is...I sure would love to be served your wonderful dish on my Friday night menu ;O)
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend Patty ;o)
Claudia
Gorgeous! The photos and the dish are stunning...excellent job with this dish :)
ReplyDeleteYour dish looks beautiful, Patty. It looks just like the FFwD badge! The microgreens from my post are actually spinach sprouts I got at the farmers market on Sunday. Couldn't resist the pretty colors!
ReplyDeleteWow, gorgeous photos, Patti! Beautifully caramelized...and such a lovely side dish :)
ReplyDeleteSorry, Patty with a y not i :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely plate. Ever since your blog redesign, it just keeps getting prettier with every post!
ReplyDeleteThat's a gorgeous starter! I will need a double portion though. I love scallops and asparagus :)
ReplyDeleteYou made beautiful scallops. Great job. I enjoyed this recipe and can't wait to make it again.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous, gorgeous photos! I'm completely jealous! I loved this one.
ReplyDeleteHi Patty-Your presentation is just so pretty! The candied orange on top is delicate and stunning:)
ReplyDeleteYour scallops and side look perfect! Next time I will go for larger scallops...mine were a little smaller and not uniform size...still good, but not as pretty. And a great idea for a starter. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteReally lovely! I love the orange zest - it's all so elegant.
ReplyDeleteYou had me at scallops with caramel citrus sauce! Pictures are droolworthy!
ReplyDeleteYou "Dorie" girls are making my hungry for this beautiful and citrus caramel scallop!
ReplyDeleteLora made hers, and I missed that too.
Patty, your presentation looks absolutely beautiful, and elegant! Yumm, is all I can say, riht now...I want to make this!
Your presentation is gorgeous. I love the way the candied orange peel looks on top. Such a nice finishing touch. I loved the seared scallops but wasn't crazy about the sauce on this one. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! I'm definitely going to have to make this one. I love your dish too! :)
ReplyDeleteStunning. We loved this as well but I was running behind and ended up making it late one evening as a snack for my family (who were delighted :). I am so impressed with your "real meal" version. I had read the bonne idee about the candied orange and thought that would be so lovely to have tried - I can see from your gorgeous picture that it was definitely worth it. Great job.
ReplyDeleteWhat gorgeous photos!!! Just the best! They really make me wish I had some of these!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful presentation! I really love your plates and placemats. The dressing for your asparagus sounds really good, too.
ReplyDeletePatty, your plating and photo is especially exquisite this post, maybe because I love scallops so much. I wish I could teletransport you to do my food photos! (Wouldn't that be cool? We are too hungry and impatient though! haha!)
ReplyDeleteI don't eat a lot of French food but am wondering if this caramelizing technique came from the French as I notice similar dishes of seafood with savory caramel sauces at Vietnamese restaurants?
Scallops make such an elegant dish, and they're so easy to prepare. What a beautiful way to welcome spring! I love the bright caramel orange sauce.
ReplyDeleteHonestly Patty, I just want to move in with you. :)
ReplyDeleteYour dishes are always so elegant. I adore seared scallops. Bravo!
Great photos! The candied zest added flair to this dish :)
ReplyDeleteBeautifully presented and looks very delicious....mmmm. Your plate looks perfect for this dish :D
ReplyDeleteHi Patty, Thank you for being a part of March's YBR.
ReplyDelete