Sunday, October 11, 2009

Chille Crusted Scallop with Cucumber Salad

A refreshing salad of cucumbers and roasted cashews makes a nice contrast to these smoky scallops. You can make the salad and scallop skewers up to eight hours ahead; cover separately and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to grill. Request "dry" sea scallops, which have not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STP). They are more flavorful and will brown properly.



Serves: 4
Preparation time: 40 minutes


Ingredients
For the salad:
2 medium cucumbers
1/2 cup salted roasted cashews, coarsely chopped (2 ounces)
2 scallions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/8 teaspoon salt


For the scallops:
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons minced seeded serrano chile
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 to 1-1/4 pounds dry sea scallops, tough muscle removed


Preparation
1. To prepare salad: Peel and seed cucumbers; quarter lengthwise and slice 1/4 inch thick. Combine the cucumbers, cashews, scallions, lemon juice, oil, parsley and salt in a large bowl.


2. To prepare scallops: Toast cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool, then coarsely chop. Combine the cumin seeds, chile, pepper and salt in a small bowl. Rinse scallops, pat dry and rub with the spice mixture. Thread the scallops onto four 12-inch skewers.


3. Preheat grill to medium-high. Oil the grill rack. Grill the scallops until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Carefully remove the scallops from the skewers. Serve warm with the cucumber salad.


Enjoy!

No comments: