Poached Scallops With Orange Tomato Sauce
serves 8
The flavors of the Mediterranean are the inspiration for these poached scallops in a delicate tomato sauce scented with orange and enriched with cream.
This recipe is part of Andrew Schloss's Sunday Dinners.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large orange
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
5 large tomatoes or 15 plum tomatoes, skinned and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 pounds sea scallops, trimmed and washed
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup heavy cream
prep: 20 minutes
total: 35 minutes
heavy skillet
slotted spoon
serving bowl
small mixing bowl
citrus zester or fine grater
spice grinder or mortar and pestle
whisk
1. In a large, deep, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 1 minute.
2. Add the orange zest, fennel seed, crushed red pepper and cook another 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes and cook until sauce simmers. Add the tomato paste, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, basil and garlic and simmer another 2 minutes.
3. While the sauce is simmering, cut the scallops in half or quarters, depending on the size of the scallops. Add the scallops to the simmering sauce and cook until the scallops are barely firm, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked scallops with a slotted spoon to a serving bowl.
4. Bring the sauce in the pan to a boil and boil vigorously for 2 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, whisk the starch with the cream until smooth. Whisk into the boiling sauce and return to a simmer. Pour this sauce over the scallops.
