One woman's foray into cooking for herself, for her family, and for her friends. It's not always picture-perfect, sometimes a little messy,
but it's always delicious. Join me in exploring new recipes, savoring the "résultats" and learning from the "erreurs".



Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Sea Scallops with Smoked Paprika and Orange Couscous

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I'd have to try it. I love, love, love scallops, and the thought of pairing them with smoked paprika and orange really intrigued me. I found some huge fresh sea scallops (three per person was seriously enough), and gave the recipe a whirl. The aromas in my kitchen were mouth-watering. The flavors are, in fact, perfect together!

Sea Scallops with Smoked Paprika and Orange Couscous
Yield: 4 servings

For couscous:
4 t. olive oil
1/4 t. saffron threads, crushed
1 1/2 cups instant couscous
1/2 t. kosher salt
2 T. unsalted butter, diced
2 t. grated orange zest

For scallops:
1 1/2 t. smoked paprika
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
3/4 t. coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 t. ground red (cayenne) pepper
12 extra-large sea scallops (1 1/4- 1 1/2 lb), side muscles removed
Olive oil
Kosher salt
1 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 orange wedges

To prepare couscous: In a medium saucepan with a lid, bring 2 cups of water, olive oil and saffron to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in couscous, salt, butter and orange zest. Cover and let stand at least 5 minutes or longer while you prepare the scallops. Fluff couscous with a fork before serving.

To prepare scallops: Stir together paprika, cumin, black pepper and red pepper in a small bowl. Spread the spice mixture on a dinner plate. Pat scallops dry, then roll each one on all sides in the spice mixture.

Coat the bottom of a large, heavy skillet with a thin layer of olive oil; place over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add enough scallops to fit comfortably in a single layer. Saute until cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and continue, adding oil if needed, until all scallops are cooked. Season scallops with salt to taste.

To serve: Spoon a mound of couscous on each of 4 dinner plates; top each serving with 3 scallops. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of parsley and an orange wedge. Squeeze the orange wedge over the scallops before eating.

Per serving: 345 calories; 11 g. fat; 4 g. saturated fat; 17 mg. cholesterol; 9.5 g. protein; 52 g. carbohydrate; 0.5 g. sugar; 4 g. fiber; 257 mg. sodium; 31 mg. calcium; 163 mg. potassium

Source: St. Louis Post Dispatch via hfpn

4 comments:

Thibeault's Table said...

Lori, Moe would love this dish. I really like the idea of the orange couscous.

Marysol said...

I think I love you.

Lori, that is such a lovely combination of flavors. I haven't had scallops in ages, but this is the way I would like to prepare them next time I get my hands on some!

MaryBeth said...

I am not a fan of the scallop but OMG...your picture makes them look fabulous and they are so big...

Linda said...

Beautiful Lori!
That pic makes me want scallops for breakfast!
L~xoxox

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