Jim’s Favorites Week 2015: Seared Scallops with Purslane and Succotash

Update and Redux: J – This dish takes me back to almost the beginning of Be Mindful. Be Human. Luke was doing lots of cooking. We were doing lots of learning … about pretty much everything. How to cut vegetables. How to sear fish. How to plate beautifully. A long list, which included the fact that a common garden weed was the new, hot garnish. Purslane is gourmet. This dish is delicious.

J — My turn!

I’ve been enjoying seeing Christina discover the pleasure of cooking with — well, watching — Luke for awhile now. He’s quite talented. She’s having fun.

Luke and I have cooked together, periodically and non-commercially, for a number of years.It’s always been fun and the food was always delightful. An informal, let’s-cook-something get-together, a large party or a small party. His place. My place. They were all fun. I learned a bunch.

This week, I had scallops. We went to the Farmer’s Market the day before. We explored and got some veggies. I was dying for lardons with scallops. Did I tell you that I LOVE bacon in any form?

This recipe is typical of our collaborations. It’s a great use for the abundance of late-summer vegetables and a little-known “weed” that has made its way into high-end cooking.

And, of course, who can go wrong with huge, dry scallops and the pepper-bacon lardons that are part of the mix.

Time to eat!

Fun, again! And, oh so tasty. Thanks Luke and Christina.

Seared Scallops with Purslane and Succotash
Recipe type: Mains
Author:
Prep time: 60 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 1 hour 30 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Succotash
  • 3 ears corn
  • ½ basket cherry tomatoes
  • 3 gypsy peppers, seeded
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 15 pearl onions
  • 12 baby carrots
  • 5 leaves basil, chiffonade
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Butter Sauce
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • ¼ lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • Salt to taste
Scallops
  • 12 large, dry scallops
  • 1 small bunch purslane
  • ¼ lb pepper-bacon from slab, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
Instructions
Succotash
  1. Cut corn off cob
  2. Peel pearl onions
  3. Peel and trim baby carrots
  4. Medium-dice gypsy peppers and zucchini, separately
  5. Quarter tomatoes
  6. Blanch corn, onions and carrots, changing water after each ingredient
  7. Heat medium saute pan on medium-high. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil. When hot, add zucchini and cook on medium-high until slightly browned. Remove to a large bowl.
  8. Saute gypsy peppers in same pan until soft. Add to bowl.
  9. Combine all ingredients in bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.
Butter Sauce
  1. Heat small saute pan with ¼ cup water and shallot. Reduce until water is almost gone.
  2. Slowly whisk small amounts of unsalted butter into pan until emulsified.
  3. Salt to taste. Keep warm.
Scallops
  1. Wash enough purslane for 4 small servings, about 2 cups
  2. Pat scallops dry and season lightly on one side only with salt and fresh ground pepper.
  3. Heat flat-top grill on high until hot. Add grapeseed oil. When it shimmers, add scallops with seasoned side down.
  4. Turn heat to medium-high and sear first side until browned, about 4 minutes
  5. Turn scallops and sear other side until they are medium-rare, about 3 more minutes. Remove from grill.
  6. Cook pepper-bacon cubes until crisp.
  7. Spoon bacon lardons onto purslane and stir in a little of the pan drippings. Mix well.
  8. Serve 3-scallops-each on top of mounded succotash. Dress with purslane-lardons mix.
  9. Drizzle small amount of butter sauce on each scallop.
  10. Enjoy.