NYE Recipe: Scallops and Cauliflower with Caper-Raisin Sauce

As I mentioned in this post, my dad gave us a lesson on the mandoline, the cooking tool not the musical instrument musicians like this one play.  That one is written without the -e at the end.  This tool comes in handy when slices the cauliflower before pan frying it.

Scallops and Cauliflower with Caper-Raisin Sauce, taken from MasterCook

Ingredients:

1/3 cup capers, drained

1 tablespoon caper liquid, reserved

1/3 cup golden raisins

12 cauliflower flowerets

4 tablespoons butter, divided

4 tablespoons canola oil, divided

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

12 large sea scallops, halved

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar


Kitchen Supplies:
Mandoline, for slicing cauliflower
Small saucepan
Blender, for raisin-caper sauce
Large skillet
Large oven proof skillet

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Combine capers and raisins in a small saucepan and add 3/4 cup water and simmer gently until raisins are plump, about ten minutes.  Cool slightly and puree in a blender.  Return to saucepan.

Using mandoline, slice the cauliflower flowerets 1/4 inch thick.  You will need 24 total.  Place 1 tablespoon butter and oil in a large skillet and working in batches, saute the cauliflower over medium high heat until golden about ten minutes total.  Remove, season with salt and pepper and keep warm in the oven.

Deglaze the pan by heating 1/4 cup of water and scraping the pan.  Add parsley and pour this juice over the cauliflower, returning it to the warming oven.

Place 1 tablespoon each of oil and butter in a large oven proof skillet over medium high heat.  When the butter foams, add the scallops and cook on one side only until nicely browned, about three minutes.  The scallops take so little time to cook because they have been cut in half.  Remove from pan and season with salt and pepper, place in warming oven.

Reheat the sauce and add nutmeg, sherry vinegar and salt and pepper as needed.  Spoon a little sauce on a plate and place 6 scallop pieces on each plate browned side up.  Top with a few slices of cauliflower and sprinkle with nutmeg.  Serve immediately.

Serves: 4

This is a great appetizer or with a starch such as rice or coucous, a main course, as the starches would soak up all of that yummy sauce.  On NYE, everyone used their spoons to scoop up the rest of the sauce when they ran out of cauliflower and scallops.  Seriously.

Next up, the much discussed and anticipated (at least by us on NYE) Mushroom Crusted Lamb!