Seared Scallops with Cucumber and Jalapeño
These cool bites offer a wonderful combination of flavors and textures, pairing tender, caramelized scallops with crunchy cucumber, spicy jalapeño, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Ingredients:
2 tsp. canola oil
6 dry-packed sea scallops
Kosher salt
1 small English (seedless) cucumber
1/2 medium lime
1 Tbs. finely chopped seeded jalapeño
12 leaves fresh cilantro
Preparation
1). Chill a small tray and a medium serving plate in the freezer.
2). Heat the oil a 10-inch heavy-duty skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Meanwhile, remove the side muscle from the scallops, halve them horizontally to make 12 thin rounds, and pat dry. Season each with salt. Cook, flipping once, until just cooked through, 3 minutes total. Transfer to the cold tray and return it to the freezer while you prep the remaining ingredients. (Don’t freeze for more than 15 minutes or the scallops will be too hard to eat.)
3). Slice twelve 1/8-inch-thick rounds from the cucumber and arrange on the chilled serving plate. Top each cucumber with a scallop. Squeeze the lime over the scallops, sprinkle with the jalapeño, and garnish each with 1 leaf of the cilantro. Serve right away.
Source: Fine Cooking Seared Scallops with Cucumber and Jalapeño