Seared Scallop Salad with Snap Peas and Radishes for Two
For an elegant yet simple dinner salad, we wanted to pair tender seared sea scallops with fresh spring vegetables. The scallops are the star of the dish, so we needed to ensure that they were perfectly cooked. Sandwiching the scallops between dish towels and letting them drain for 10 minutes before cooking rid them of excess moisture that would prevent them from developing a well-browned crust in the skillet. After seasoning them with salt and pepper, we seared them in a hot skillet for a few minutes until their centers were just opaque and their exteriors were caramelized and flavorful. For the salad, we tossed delicate mesclun greens, fresh sugar snap peas, and thinly sliced peppery radishes with a simple vinaigrette and arranged the delicate scallops on top.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces, large sea scallops, tendons removed
- 1 tablespoon, red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon, Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons, extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces, sugar snap peas, strings removed, halved crosswise
- 4 ounces (4 cups), mesclun
- 4 , radishes, trimmed and sliced thin
- 1 , shallot, sliced thin
- , Salt and pepper
Directions
- 1
We recommend buying “dry” scallops, which don't have chemical additives and taste better than “wet.” Dry scallops will look ivory or pinkish; wet scallops are bright white.