Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Scallops with Beurre Blanc over Orzo



Let me start off this recipe by saying I am using gluten-free orzo by pastamore. If you do not have a gluten intolerance you can use regular orzo. If you are Celiac or Gluten-intollerant you can now have orzo again. I used PastAmore's sweet potato orzo for this recipe and it turned out divine! You can get yours here: http://www.pastamore.com/. I started off with that disclaimer because every time I post something Orzo, I get a bunch of emails telling me Orzo isn't gluten-free. I realize normal orzo is not gluten-free, and that is why I use pastamore. 

Over the weekend we went to two different local Farmer's markets. I am trying my best to only get Organic, Non GMO foods for this house. Sometimes that means a trek to Solana beach, or a 3 mile walk to the fresh seafood market. It is all worth it though. Genetically modified food scares the crap out of me. They are killing off the human race. Cancer is everywhere. It all starts with what we put in our bodies folks! Paying $1 more for produce is a lot less expensive than hospital bills!

Ok I am off my soap box for the day. At one of our Farmer's Markets they sell fresh diver scallops. I snatched up a bag, because scallops are my husbands favorite. 

This gourmet meal is so easy to make, yet it looks and tastes like it came out of a high end restaurant. 

Scallops with Beurre Blanc over Gluten-Free Orzo
adapted from The Kitchn
Serves 4
For the beurre blanc:
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cubed
freshly ground black pepper
For the orzo salad:
1/2 pound dried orzo pasta (use pastamore if you are gluten-free)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
2 tablespoons chopped chives
For the scallops:
Sea scallops, 4-5 per person
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the beurre blanc, bring the wine, wine vinegar, and shallots to a boil in a medium stainless steel saucepan. 
Cook the mixture until reduced to a very thick glaze, about 8 - 12 minutes depending on the size of the pan. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids, and return the liquid to the saucepan.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream.
 Vigorously whisk in the butter, cube by cube, not adding another piece until the last is almost fully melted.The sauce should be thick, creamy, and glossy.
Season with pepper, to taste. Hold on lowest heat, stirring occasionally, until ready to serve.
While the beurre blanc is reducing, cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain well. Toss with the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the chives. Season with salt and pepper.
For the scallops, heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, pat the scallops and dust with  kosher salt, and pepper. Add a tbsp of canola or vegetable oil to the pan. Once it is shimmery and hot, add the scallops, salted side down, around the outside of pan. Once they are in the pan, dust tops now facing up with salt, and pepper.
Allow the scallops to sear, undisturbed, for a minute or so. When you start to see a golden brown crust beginning to rise up the side of one, it is ready to flip. Once the scallops are flipped, continue cooking for about another minute or so, until they are firm but still a tad uncooked in the center. (They will finish cooking with the residual heat.) Transfer the scallops to a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up any cooking juices.
Assemble the dish. Orzo, topped with scallops, topped with beurre blanc.

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