Marinated Sea Scallops with Red Cabbage and Fennel

By Drjt

Ingredients

• • 9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• • 2 large or 3 small jalapeños, stemmed and diced with seeds
• • 1 tablespoon shallot, thinly sliced
• • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• • 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• • Salt
• • 1 1/2 tablespoons cane, or raw, sugar
• • 12 large sea scallops, cut in half crosswise
• • 1 cup zucchini, trimmed, peeled and chopped
• • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• • Zest of 1/2 lime
• • 1 cup fennel, very thinly sliced on a mandolin
• • 1 cup red cabbage, very thinly sliced on a mandolin
• • 1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds, plus more for garnish
• • Freshly ground black pepper
• • Fennel fronds, for garnish

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from winespectator.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeños, shallot and garlic, and sweat until very tender. Place the mixture in a blender, and add the vinegar and 3 tablespoons oil. Puree until smooth. Season marinade with salt.
2. Brush the bottom of a storage container with the marinade. Sprinkle with half of the cane sugar. Place the scallops in rows along bottom of container. Paint the tops of the scallops with the marinade, and sprinkle with the remaining sugar. Marinate in the refrigerator up to 24 hours.
3. To make the zucchini emulsion, ring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the zucchini, and cook until very tender. Remove from the heat, and drain well. Cool completely (or the emulsion will be runny). Place in a blender, and add the juice, zest and remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Puree until smooth. Season. If making ahead, refrigerate, covered, until ready to cook scallops.
4. Place the fennel and red cabbage in two separate bowls, and dress with the zucchini emulsion. Sprinkle with the fennel seeds, and season.
5. Season the scallops with salt. Sear in a very hot pan until golden-brown on one side. Turn over, and cook 15 seconds. Remove from the pan.
6. To serve, drizzle the zucchini emulsion diagonally across each of four serving plates. Place small mounds of the fennel and cabbage on each plate, making a diagonal line in the opposite direction of the emulsion. Place a scallop half atop each mound. Garnish with fennel fronds.