Warm Salad of Seared Scallops & Haricots Verts in Walnut Vinaigrette
Serves 8 as a first course
This makes a stunning first-course salad for a special occasion (th bright colors make it especially well-suited for the winter holidays), but it’s also a delicious light dinner.
Ingredients #
- 1/4 lb haricots verts, washed and trimmed
- 1 lb sea scallops
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 3 yellow bell peppers, cut into 2-by-1/4 inch strips
- 3 orange bell peppers, cut into 2-by-1/4 inch strips
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 3 tbsp Sherry vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 3 tbsp walnut oil
- 4 heads red radicchio, outer leaves only, carefully washed and dried
- 1/3 cup walnuts, toasted lightly and chopped
Instructions #
In a saucepan of boiling salted water, blanch the haricots verts until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Drain in a colander and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Dry on paper towels and wrap in a kitchen towel. Beans may be prepared to this stage 1 day ahead and kept in the refrigerator.
If the muscles have their tough adductor muscle on the side, remove it carefully, Halve the scallops horizontally and dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large non-stick (or well-seasoned) skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil until it just begins to smoke. Add the scallops and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a large bowl, tent lightly with foil and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, heat until shimmering, and sauté the bell peppers, stirring, until crisp-tender. Transfer to the bowl with the scallops and set aside.
In the skillet, cook the shallots in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, stirring, until softened. Add the Sherry vinegar, sugar, walnut oil, 1 tbsp olive oil, and salt to taste. Simmer for 1 minute, then remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Divide the radicchio leaves among 8 plates or bowls, forming a sort of “bowl” with the leaves.
Add the haricots verts and the vinaigrette to the scallops and peppers, and toss gently to combine. Divide the salad evenly among the plates and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts.