Fried Caramelized Sea Scallops with Pea Vinaigrette - 52 Simple but Next Level Dishes

I don't know why but I really should make scallops more often.

And this plate gets extra credit for the beautiful mix of colors.

And even more credit fot the delicious blending of flavors.  The peas in vinaigrette help flavor the scallops as well as the pickled beets I added to the recipe.  Just a delicious blending of that wonderful perfect bite.

And of course, easy.  really really easy.  Simply a matter of a few minutes in a hot pan and the seasoned scallops are cooked through.  Only concern is to watch them carefully with a timer.  Scallops have a terrible chewy texture when overcooked.  Just watch for that delicate caramelization (browning).  When both sides are done, the insides are done as well.  Moist, tender, and delicious!

This is one of those under 30 minute recipes that look like a million bucks!

Keep scrolling down for this easy to follow recipe...

 OK... Here's what I did...

Fried Caramelized
Sea Scallops with
Pea Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• FOR THE PEA VINAIGRETTE
• 2 Cups Frozen Peas
• Pot of Salted Water for blanching Peas
• Bowl of Iced Water to Shock the Peas
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Champagne Vinegar
• 2 TBS Stone Ground Mustard
• 2 TBS Honey
• 6 Leaves (2 TBS) Fresh Mint, chopped tiny
• FOR THE CARAMELIZED SCALLOPS
• 6 Large Sea Scallops, dry each with paper towels
• 2 TBS Olive Oil
• 2 TBS Sugar
• Large pinches of Salt and Pepper
• Extra Mint Leaves for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. FOR THE VINAIGRETTE - Boil the peas for 2 minutes, strain and transfer to the bowl of ice water to shock them, preserving the color and snappy texture.
2. Whisk together the Olive Oil, Vinegar, Mustard, Honey and mint until fully incorporated. Taste, add additional honey of to vinegary tart. Let sit at room temperature for the flavors to mingle. Add the peas.
3. FOR THE CARAMELIZED SCALLOPS - Carefully fry each scallop with a paper towel (do not skip this step). Brush each with a bit of Olive Oil. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle of sugar, both sides. Let the scallops sit for 2 minutes so the sugar soaks into the meat.
4. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Add the scallops and cook until caramelized around the bottom and edges of the sides, about 3 minutes. Flip and repeat the caramelizing on the new bottom (old top), another 3 minutes.
5. Arrange on a serving plate, add the peas (on a bed of pickled beets if you have them), spooning the vinaigrette to pool around the scallops.
6. Serve warm and ENJOY!

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This simple recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Simple but Next Level Dishes"!

Kind of an odd title for these posts. But the longer sentence is... Simple recipes that are easy and inexpensive that will take your cooking to the next level... Things like easy pickled items (I always have a jar of Pickled Red Onions for sandwiches in my fridge). Or how about the easiest bread to make in the world... Beer Bread that is tasty on it's own but also makes a wonderful open face pizza style sandwich... With easy to make Tomato Sauce. Or how about Roasting Garlic for a spread on toast points for a unique appetizer. Infusing Oil with Herbs or spices or spicy peppers. Or how about making your own BBQ sauce. Nothing sets you apart as a grill master like setting out a jar of your own specialty BBQ Sauce.

You get the idea. These recipes are very simple, take very little time but will set you apart as a better cook...

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