Pan Grilled Scallops on Green Gazpacho

Easy, Moderate, Complex

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

  • FOR GAZPACHO:
    • 4 Lebanese cucumbers (OR 1/2 English Cucumber), in small dice
    • 3  tomatillos, if tinned, quarter them. If fresh, cut in small dice.
    • 3 green onions, cut in fine dice
    • 1 clove garlic
    • A small handful of fresh cilantro
    • 1/4 cup  olive oil (60 ml)
    • A pinch of coarse salt
    • A grinding of cracked black pepper
    • 2 whole limes
  • FOR THE PAN GRILLED SCALLOPS:
    • 5 sea scallops
    • A pinch of coarse salt
    • Canola Oil to line the pan

Method

  1. FOR GAZPACHO:
    1. Cut cucumbers in strips, leaving the skin on. Then, finely dice.
    2. Pop into a mixing bowl.
    3. Dice green onions. Add to bowl.
    4. Remove sheath from fresh tomatillos and slice into small cubes the size of your cucumber. Add to bowl.
    5. Take a fresh clove of garlic. Remove skin and mince finely. Add.
    6. Add olive oil and a pinch of salt and grinding of black pepper. Stir to combine and allow flavours to blend.
  2. FOR THE PAN GRILLED SCALLOPS:
    1. Score scallops with small knife in checkerboard (for nice ‘browning look’ after it’s seared)
    2. In a hot pan, add enough canola oil to line the pan, and sear the scallops on both sides till just barely cooked through, about 30 seconds each side. They should just lose their translucent colour.
    3. Serve up by placing your scallop shells on a platter. Place a dollop of the gazpacho on each shell and top with a single seared scallop. Add a little drizzle of olive oil and a last dusting of salt and pepper.