Seared Scallops with Citrus Trio + Wild Rice

Succulent seared scallops on a bed of garlicky wild rice and spinach with a bright citrus salad and crunchy toasted hazelnuts.

This year for Valentine’s Day, I wanted to cook something special at home. We hadn’t had scallops for quite a while, and they’re one of our favorites, so I knew that would be the way to go.

I’ve also been trying to cook my way through some ingredients that have been lurking in my cabinets for a long time, and a jar of wild rice was in desperate need of attention.

This meal takes several steps to complete, but the steps aren’t difficult. While the rice is cooking, you can assemble the citrus salad, and once you add the greens to the rice, you can start prepping the scallops. The scallops cook up very quickly, so make sure you aren’t distracted while you’re searing them – overcooked scallops are not tasty!

When I made this, we had a bit of rice leftover, but the amount of scallops was perfect. This dish was light, yet filling, and totally refreshing.

Seared Scallops with Citrus Trio + Wild Rice

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Description

Succulent seared scallops on a bed of garlicky wild rice and spinach with a bright citrus salad and crunchy toasted hazelnuts.

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Ingredients

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For Rice:

• 1 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups water
• Pinch kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 cups (packed) baby spinach

For Citrus Trio:

• 1 navel orange
• 1 ruby red grapefruit
• 1 Honeybell or Mineola orange
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

For scallops:

• 6 large sea scallops (brought up to room temperature if possible)
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For Garnish:

• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

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Instructions

1. Prepare wild rice: Place water and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and garlic. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is tender (about 40-45 minutes). Remove lid, stir in spinach and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid.
2. Assemble citrus trio: Cut orange, grapefruit and Honeybell into supremes over a medium bowl, catching any of the juice that drips out. Squeeze any excess juice from the membranes into the bowl as well. Strip the leaves from the thyme and add them to the bowl, along with the honey, oil, salt and pepper. Toss gently to combine.
3. Sear the scallops: Pat scallops dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat oil and butter in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, place scallops in the skillet, making sure they aren’t touching each other, and sear for about 90 seconds. Flip scallops and cook for another 90 seconds, using a spoon to baste with the melted butter/oil mixture as they finish cooking. You’re looking for them to have a golden brown crust on both sides, but still be tender and translucent on the inside. Remove from the skillet onto a paper towel-lined plate.
4. To assemble: Place a few scoops of rice on 2 plates. Top each pile of rice with 3 scallops and a some of the citrus salad, spooning over extra juice as desired. Top with toasted hazelnuts and serve. Enjoy!

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Notes

Original Recipe by Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen – Ashley Covelli

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2

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