Seared Scallops over Cascabel sauce, served w' Tropical Salsa
by Chef Louis Robinson
Ingredients:
- 3 or more large dry packed scallops
- 4 dry cascabel chilies
- 6-8 small tomatillos
-2 cloves garlic
-1/4 of a white onion
-2 tablespoons raw cane sugar
-2 tablespoons diced papaya
-2 tablespoons diced jalepeno
-2 tablespoons diced cucumber
-2 tablespoons diced Easter radish
-2 tablespoons small grape or cherry tomatoes quartered
-1 tablespoon key lime juice
-salt to taste
-white pepper to taste
Preparation:
-finely dice all your produce using a brunoise cut, combine in a mixing bowl with key lime juice, season with salt to taste and set aside.
-remove the seeds from you cascabel chiles, place in a dry skillet over medium heat, press into pan with a spatula, flipping occasionally until fragrant. Remove, and place in a bowl of warm water, set aside. Place the onion, tomatillos and garlic (leave the skin on the garlic) on a baking sheet. Place in the oven on broil for 5 minutes or until everything is slightly blackened in spots. Squeeze the garlic out of its charred skin. Place the items from the baking sheet, along with the chilies, in a blender. Add a little of the chile soaking water to add moister if needed. Add the sugar and blend on high until smooth. Season with salt to taste. Strain, and set aside.
-season your scallops with salt and white pepper to taste. Place the scallops in a very hot pan with a little oil. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes or until well browned on one side. Flip the scallops and turn off the heat on the pan. Let the scallops sit in the pan for 3 minutes, the residual heat will finish the cooking process.
To plate, put the sauce on the plate first, place scallops on the sauce and surround them with the salsa in the artistic style of your choosing, I made a circle in the picture. Garnish with micro greens or cilantro if you desire.