I think scallops present two very distinct culinary sensations, namely 1., fresh/sweet fish taste and 2. meaty / hearty texture. In sum, you're getting the taste of the sea with a firm flesh fish!
I recently paired a trusted ingredient (the mighty Roma or Plum tomato) with scallops and the result was outstanding. Let's start with the pan simmered tomatoes:
- 4-5 medium sized Roma or Plum tomatoes
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 finely diced red onion
- 7-9 basil leaves
- salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- Sliver of butter
Start by dropping the tomatoes into a boiling pot of water and let boil for about 5 minutes or until skin begins to peel (what you're doing here is eliminating the nasty outer skin which isn't very pleasant when cooked and paired with a delicate piece of fish). Drop the tomatoes in ice water after the recommended time and begin peeling the skin. Next halve the tomatoes and remove the seeds and stem. Grab the tomato pieces and both squeeze and mash the tomatoes with yours hand over a large pan (sounds weird but you're essentially breaking down the tomato without a knife). Before placing the tomatoes in the pan, heat the pan and add olive oil, garlic (thinly sliced), and onion and cook at a very low temperate for 8-10 minutes (you want to extract the garlic and onion flavor without burning the ingredients). Simmer the ingredients, after adding the tomatoes, for another 10-12 minutes or until everything in the pan is nicely combined.
The scallops are next and they are very easy! Heat a medium sized pan and add a bit of olive oil and butter. At the same time coat both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper. Once the pan is hot add the scallops and sear on both side for 1-3 minutes or until you begin seeing a nice brown crust (don't move until you have a feeling a crust has developed).
Plate the scallops and drizzle the simmered tomatoes over the scallops and enjoy!
Well, I'm sure looking forward to coming over for dinner.