Seared Scallops Over Slow-Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Spicy Tomato Salsa
Recipe courtesy of Olivier Andreini, CMC, Executive Chef, Bentwater Yacht & Country Club, Montgomery, Texas
Ingredients
- Ingredients for Spicy Tomato Salsa
- green onions - 4-6 ea., sliced thing, separated green and white
- anchovies - 2 ea., finely minced
- cherry tomatoes - 1 cup, halved
- garlic cloves - 3 large, sliced thin on mandolin
- basil - 1/2 cup chiffonade
- lemon juice - 1 Tbsp.
- Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce - 2 Tbsps.
- sherry vinegar - 1 Tbsp.
- Extra virgin olive oil - 1 Tbsp.
- aleppo pepper - 1 tsp., crushed
- minced dry extra fancy onion - 1 tsp.
- salt - to taste
- For Scallops:
- small head of cauliflower - 1 ea.
- za'atar - 1 tsp.
- pimentón - 1 tsp.
- extra virgin olive oil - 3 Tbsps.
- salt - to taste
- U10 scallops - 6 ea.
- salt - as needed
- espelette pepper - as needed
- sunflower oil - as needed
- butter - 1 Tbsp.
- fresh lemon juice - 1 Tbsp.
Instructions
Procedure:
- For Spicy Tomato Salsa: Mix all ingredients gently together—except top part of green onions. Season to taste.
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Place one small head of cauliflower upright—stem-side down—on a flat surface. Visualize creating two large steaks from the head of the cauliflower. Using a large knife, trim a little off each side so that when you split the cauliflower in half, each half will lie flat. Cut the cauliflower in half.
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In a bowl, combine za’atar, pimentón and extra virgin olive oil.
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Brush both sides of the steaks with the oil mixture.
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Bake the cauliflower until a wooden skewer goes through the stem easily. Rest.
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Season the scallops with salt and espelette pepper. Add the sunflower oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the oil is close to smoking, carefully place the scallops in the pan and let them sear for 2 to 3 minutes, until they start to caramelize.
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Flip the scallops, add butter and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes.
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Add fresh lemon juice. Remove the scallops from the skillet and let rest.
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To assemble: Lay cauliflower steak on a warm plate. Sprinkle with ½ the green onion tops. Arrange 3 scallops over each steak. Drizzle the salsa over the scallops and garnish with the rest of green onion tops, making sure you have some on the plate.
