Sea Scallops Cooked In Their Shells

Name: Sea Scallops Cooked In Their Shells
Ingredients: 1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled; 1 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing the scallops; 2 small zucchini; 1 red bell pepper, seeds and veins removed, cut into ¼-inch dice; 2 leeks, tops and bottoms trimmed, cut into ¼-inch dice; 2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch dice; 2 small ribs celery, cut into ¼-inch dice; 10 pearl onions, peeled, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice; 1 cup white veal stock or chicken stock; 2 preserved lemons (recipe follows), cut into ¼-inch dice; 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and cut into ¼-inch dice; 1 ½ ripe avocados, cut into ⅓-inch dice; 2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar; 40 sea scallops, preferably in their shells

By Molly O’Neill

Published November 1, 1997

Total Time: About 2 hours 30 minutes
Rating: (0)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: Food; The Family That Sautes Together . . .

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings as a main course, 10 to 12 as a starter

1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 cup olive oil, plus more for brushing the scallops
2 small zucchini
1 red bell pepper, seeds and veins removed, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 leeks, tops and bottoms trimmed, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch dice
2 small ribs celery, cut into ¼-inch dice
10 pearl onions, peeled, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 cup white veal stock or chicken stock
2 preserved lemons (recipe follows), cut into ¼-inch dice
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and cut into ¼-inch dice
1 ½ ripe avocados, cut into ⅓-inch dice
2 tablespoons aged sherry vinegar
40 sea scallops, preferably in their shells

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a small saucepan, combine the garlic and ⅔ cup of the oil and cook over very low heat for 2 hours. Cool, discard the oil and set the garlic aside.
Step 2
Using a sharp knife, peel away ¼-inch-thick strips of skin from the zucchini. Discard the core and cut the skin into ¼-inch dice.
Step 3
Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute the zucchini, pepper, leeks, carrots, celery and onions until they just begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Step 4
In a blender, puree the stock and reserved garlic until smooth. Pour the stock over the vegetables, add the lemons, sun-dried tomatoes, avocados, vinegar and remaining 2 ⅓ tablespoons of olive oil and mix. Season with salt.
Step 5
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If using scallops in their shells, discard the top (flat) shell of each scallop and remove the guts, leaving only the white, round muscle. (It should still be attached to the shell.) Run cold water over each scallop, pat dry and place the scallops on baking sheets. (If using scallops already out of the shells, rinse them and place each one in a small ramekin, cleaned shell or ovenproof dish.) Sprinkle the scallops with salt and arrange a heaping tablespoon of the vegetable mixture so that it surrounds but does not cover the scallop.
Step 6
Bake until the scallops are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Brush each scallop with olive oil and serve immediately.