Fantastically Lite Dinners
So, these cute little tiny baby tomatoes were given to me by an acquaintance who grows them in his backyard with 0 effort, literally they grow through the floor of his greenhouse. The flavor was intense, sweet and ripe, bursting in your mouth at just the right moment. They have to have been the best I’ve had in decades. As for the rest of this dish, well…just look at the picture, need I say more? Perfectly seared scallops in a lemon basil sauce and served with crusty French bread. I make this about once a month for those nights that heavy is just not on the menu.
2 tbs lemon juice
1.5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
5 lg basil leaves, chiffonade and chopped
Fresh cracked salt and pepper
15 itty bitty multi colored tomatoes, thinly sliced
Sprinkle of sea salt
Fresh cracked pepper
6 large scallops
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs unsalted butter
Fresh baked crusty French bread (optional)
Spring salad with fresh lemon and parmesan curls or pieces (optional)
First, prepare the base of your dish by mixing the first 3 ingredients as well as the salt and pepper in a non reactive mixing bowl. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. This is one of those recipes where I’m going to suggest you taste. Mixing oil with anything whether it be a salad dressing or sauce, you need to taste. I am totally fine with very citrus forward sauces like in picatta, but I’ve “tarted” people out with the amount of lemon I tend to use. So that being said, if you feel it needs a bit more lemon, add more, ¼ tsp at a time. More basil? One leaf at a time. Etc.
Once your base has set for a while and marinated, remove from fridge and set aside. Pull out whatever plate youre going to serve this on. I have several rectangles in different sizes specifically for this type of thing. Arrange the tomato discs on the plate kind of sporadically all over. Spoon ⅓ of the marinade over the tomatoes. Set aside.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium high heat. Make sure your scallops are dried well. Season them with the salt and pepper on both sides. Add the oil and butter to your pan. Swirl around a few times to coat the bottom. Add your scallops and allow to sear for about ½ a minute. Tilt your pan just a bit and start spooning the butter/oil mixture over the tops of each scallop. You want to leave them cooking on one side until the darker white color creeps half way up the sides. Flips each one and repeat process. You CAN test their buoyancy by pressing on the center tops of each, but if you arent used to this type of temping, I don’t suggest it. When they are just barely firm, remove and arrange on the serving plate. Spoon the rest of your base liquid over the top of each scallop and serve with crusty bread and a nice fresh spring salad with lemon and parm curls.
Girl-Chef Tastes 