Sautéed Scallops with Snow Peas

Pierre made this recipe with either sea scallops or bay scallops. In particular, he loved the local Peconic bay scallops harvested this time of year on Long Island, NY. They are small and tender and tend to have a higher sugar content so when you sear them at a high temperature they get a lovely carmelized glaze. The key to cooking scallops is to not let them touch each other in the pan -- otherwise they will lose too much liquid, dry out and not sear well. As an alternative, try: Scallops with Shallot Butter and Pine Nuts (see linked recipe).

INGREDIENTS

½ pound snow peas, trimmed and washed
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
2 plum tomatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes (about ¼ pound)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
1 ¼ pounds sea scallops, cool but not icy from refrigerator (cut in half if too large)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or parsley
Juice of 1 lemon

PREPARATION

1. In a small pot, bring enough water to a boil to cover the snow peas and add salt to taste. Add peas, bring to a boil, cook for 1 minute, and drain.
2. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Over medium-high setting, add the garlic and tomatoes, and toss for 1 minute. Add snow peas, thyme, salt and pepper, then cook and stir for 1 minute more.
3. Using a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the scallops in one layer, heat butter over high setting. Add scallops, season with salt and pepper, and cook, shaking so that the scallops cook evenly and quickly, for about 2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook them.
4. Add the tomato-snow pea mixture, coriander, and lemon juice. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Serve immediately over Baked Rice.

YIELD

4 servings