Recipes

Seared Diver Scallops with Carrot Purée, Wilted Rainbow Chard, and Carrot Top Pesto

188 Nonna food by Brad Arender ClickThru
Photo by Brad Arender

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    ingredients
  • 16 large diver scallops
  • Carrot Purée
  • 1 ½ pounds carrots, with tops
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
  • Salt to taste
  • Rainbow Chard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 bunch rainbow chard, stems removed and roughly chopped
  • 2 teaspoons shallot, minced
  • 3 tablespoons white wine
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Carrot-Top Pesto
  • Tops (from the carrots purée above)
  • ½ cup pecans, toasted
  • 1 garlic clove
  • ½ cup basil leaves, packed
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
steps

Scallops

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat olive oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over high heat.
  3. Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Sear in the skillet for 1 ½ minutes, being careful to not overcrowd.
  5. Leave the seared side down and cook in oven for 3 minutes. Once scallops come out of oven, immediately remove from skillet to prevent overcooking.

Carrot Purée

  1. Peel and chop carrots into ½-inch pieces.
  2. Boil until just cooked, strain, and place in a food processor.
  3. Add the mascarpone and butter and pulse until smooth. Season with salt.

Rainbow Chard

  1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add shallots, then greens, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Add wine and toss until chard has wilted.

For Carrot-Top Pesto

  1. Pulse garlic and nuts in a food processor until a coarse paste forms.
  2. Add basil, parmesan, and reserved carrot tops; process until a coarse purée forms.
  3. Add olive oil and pulse until combined, then season with salt and pepper.

To plate, place a healthy dollop of carrot puree on a plate. Next add wilted chard, then 4 scallops on each plate. Top the scallops with pesto.

  • from Executive Chef Cory Bahr of Nonna, Monroe, Louisiana

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