Sear Those Scallops

     My good friend Karen, Frank and I get together periodically for dinner or lunch. We usually go to a local restaurant in St. Petersburg, but last night we cooked at Bistro 523 (my fictitious restaurant in case you forgot). For months, Karen has been mentioning (hinting) that she loves scallops but didn't know how to fix them. So I figured it was time for a little cooking lesson, (move over Jacque Pepin). I picked up some U-10 scallops, corn meal, and asparagus, among other items. While we were waiting on Frank to arrive from a late work night, we prepared (and tested) some tasty bruschetta, a la Paul Tuten. One was apricot preserve, prosciutto, and ricotta; the other was a sun dried tomato spread with shaved parmigiano reggiano. Karen proclaimed the apricot one the best. After Frank arrived, and with Karen's able assistance, we prepared my "famous" Belgium Endive salad with Gorgonzola dressing. We pan seared the scallops, then deglazed with white wine, followed by shallots, thyme, and butter for a simple pan sauce. This was served with roasted asparagus, and polenta (hence the corn meal). Karen was an excellent student. I should have taken a photo of the plated meal, as, (a little bragging here) it really looked great, and tasted even better. 


That's my story and I'm sticking to it!