Within four hours of arriving in Victoria, Canada, I bellied up to a table in my parents’ favorite sushi restaurant, readying myself for a feast of the freshest fish to pass my lips in months. If I were ever to find myself on death row (hey, if someone ever tries to raid my Brie cheese stash, I will be forced to take matter into my own hands), sushi would be my chosen last meal. If one is lucky enough to be in the Mecca of fresh seafood, one must pay homage to Poseidon and his troops. Or at least that is my excuse for eating two sushi rolls, several pieces of sushi, one pound of mussels, and a plateful of these tender scallops in the past 48 hours. What’s left for tomorrow? Well, fresh halibut and fresh spot prawns, of course. Moderation has officially been booted out the door. By the end of this seafood love-in, there are bound to be more recipes to add to The Best of...Grilling & Summer Barbecue Recipes.
My mum and I got our hands on some hefty sea scallops, which I cut in half crosswise to ensure more even cooking. They were then lightly seared in a little olive oil until barely cooked through. Do every thing in your power not to overcook these little treasures of the sea. They will go from tender and buttery to tough and rubbery in the blink of an eye. Once cooked, I topped each scallop with a drizzle of chimichurri dressing from my Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Chimichurri Dressing recipe. The acid in the vinegar, along with the brightness of the fresh parsley and spice of the red chilli flakes livened up the mellow scallops without overwhelming them. We ate these as an appetizer, but they can also be enjoyed as an entrée. Just be sure to increase the portion size for each person.
Dressing:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano, 1 garlic clove, minced, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes.
Pulse until combined, but not smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour in 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.
Scallops:
Cut 8 large sea scallops in half crosswise.
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Place half of the scallops in the pan, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until barely cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. When you press on the scallops, they should still feel a little squishy. They will become rubbery very quickly, so take care not to overcook. Set the cooked scallops on a serving platter and repeat the same process with the remaining scallops, adding 1 additional teaspoon olive oil to the pan. Once all of the scallops are on the serving platter, drizzle them with the chimichurri dressing. Serve immediately.
Seared Scallops with Chimichurri Dressing
Dressing:
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Scallops:
8 large sea scallops, cut in half crosswise
3 teaspoon olive oil, divided
Salt & pepper for seasoning
Dressing:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine parsley, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. Pulse until combined, but not smooth. With the motor running, slowly pour in olive oil.
Scallops
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Place half of the scallops in the pan, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook until barely cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. When you press on the scallops, they should still feel a little squishy. They will become rubbery very quickly, so take care not to overcook. Set the cooked scallops on a serving platter and repeat the same process with the remaining scallops, adding 1 additional teaspoon olive oil to the pan. Once all of the scallops are on the serving platter, drizzle them with the chimichurri dressing. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 as an appetizer (4 scallops per person).
Biren
These look gorgeous and delicious! The sauce must be really tasty...yumm!!
Gabriel
Good photo shots! This recipe looks delicious and healthy. I will surprise my mom with this recipe coz she loves chimichurri sauce meals.
Elin
I love fresh scallop and your preparation makes them more tempting...thanks CC for sharing this deliciousness...mmmm yummy 🙂
Cherine
Lovely. I love scallops. Great combination!
Frank
This looks absolutely gorgeous!
bunkycooks
Fresh seafood...I envy you! We will all be missing seafood here in the South with the oil spill. Scallops are always my favorite and it is so true about cooking them properly. Yours look perfect and I love the chimichurri sauce!
Drick
lovely sear on those scallops and that dressing is just superb...
Ruth
I so agree with you, sushi or anything involving seafood would be my last meal. And these would do quite nicely too...hmm
lululu
I LOVE chimichurri! I only made it once for grilled pork tenderloin. I bet it tastes wonderful for seafood!
And to tell you the shameful truth, I've never been to Victoria though I'm living in as close as Vancouver!
Kristi@Ja Cie Kocham
Wow. The green of the chimichurri dressing pops! Light and healthy, just like I like it!