Recipe by Charlie Palmer & Shane McAnelly | Dry Creek Kitchen
Serves 4-6
- 1.5 dayboat scallops, adductor muscle tab removed
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil, or similar (neutral with high smoke point)
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup golden raisins
- ½ cup chardonnay
- 1 pinch saffron
- ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
- kosher salt, as needed
Cauliflower Puree
Place cauliflower and heavy cream in a small pot and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat. Season with kosher salt. When the cauliflower is very tender, drain the heavy cream and retain. Place cooked cauliflower florets in a blender and add just enough of the cream that the mixture will puree smooth. The puree should be silky and smooth. Taste and add salt if needed.
Chardonnay Poached Golden Raisins
Place raisin, chardonnay, and saffron in a small pot. Heat over low heat and bring to a simmer. Let raisins steep in the wine for 15 minutes until nice and plump.
Scallops
Remove adductor muscle from scallops and season with salt. Place a cast iron or stainless-steel pan over high heat. Add oil to pan and make sure it is very hot. Add half the scallops to the pan, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Maintaining the high heat in the pan is paramount, you want to make sure your scallops are searing and not steaming. Cook scallops until a nice golden-brown crust has developed, then flip scallops to quickly sear the second side. I like to flip and count to 5, then remove the scallops from the pan. This ensures they are a nice medium rare and don’t overcook and get chewy. Clean pan and repeat with remaining scallops.
Plating
Spoon a couple of tablespoons of cauliflower puree into a puddle on the plate. Place 3 scallops on puree. Top with poached raisins and toasted almonds.
This recipe was conceptualized to pair with the 2024 Williams Selyem Estate Vineyard Chardonnay.
