Seared Sea Scallops from Celia

Seared Sea Scallops with Roasted Corn, Baby Spinach and Smoked Tomato Butter Sauce
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients:

8 pcs. 10-20 count Dry Pack Sea Scallops cleaned of side muscle
2 oz. Clarified butter
2 Tbsp. Softened unsalted butter
1/2 Tbsp. Finely chopped garlic
1 Tbsp. Finely chopped shallots
1 cup Baby spinach, rinsed, drained and dried
1 ear Fresh golden corn peeled, roasted and cut off the cob
1 cup Heavy cream
8 oz. Smoked tomato butter sauce **
1/2 oz. White truffle oil
Kosher salt and white pepper
Minced chives for garnish

Procedure:

Heat non-stick pan, add clarified butter and half amount of unsalted butter.

Season scallops with salt and pepper mixture. Add to heated pan and sauté for approximately 1-2 minutes at medium heat or till golden brown. Turn over and continue to cook. Scallops should be cooked to medium (be careful not to over cook scallops, will become tough). Remove from pan and hold warm.

In another non-stick pan, heat and add remaining softened butter with shallots and garlic; sauté until translucent.

Add baby spinach, roasted corn and heat thoroughly.

Add heavy cream and reduce by one half.
Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper and hold warm.

Plating:

Place equal amounts of roasted corn mixture onto four warm plates.

Top each with 2 seared scallops.
Nape with Smoked Tomato Butter Sauce.
Drizzle a small amount of white truffle oil (be careful not to over power sauce with truffle oil).
Garnish with minced chives.

**Smoked Tomato Butter Sauce
Ingredients:

1 each Large vine ripe tomato, cored, cut in half and seeded
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
1/2cup Hickory chips, soaked in water for 20 minutes
6 oz. White wine
1 each Shallot, coarsely chopped
1 each Garlic clove, coarsely chopped
3 sprig Fresh thyme
4 each Black peppercorns
4 oz. Heavy cream
8 oz. Soften unsalted butter
Kosher salt and white pepper to taste

Procedure:

Place drained hickory chips into pan that can be fitted with a wire rack and cover.

Place pan onto stove and turn to high heat, cover and should start smoking in a few minutes. When smoking, reduce temperature to medium-high.

Lightly oil tomato and place onto wire rack in pan cover and smoke for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Place wine, shallots, garlic, thyme, peppercorns and smoked tomatoes into 2 qt. sauce pan, bring to a boil and simmer and reduce to set.

Add heavy cream, simmer and reduce by half.
Cool slightly, place mixture into blender, carefully turn blender on to medium speed, add in small amounts of softened butter and blend thoroughly.
Remove from blender, pass through fine-hole strainer into vessel, adjust seasoning with salt and fresh ground pepper and keep warm.

**This recipe is meant to be used as a guideline, be creative and experiment with other complementing food components**