Tony's Table: Scallops At The '21' Club

Nantucket Bay Scallops with Butternut Squash Purée (Executive Chef John Greeley)

Yield: Serves 4

Bay Scallops

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs Nantucket Bay Scallops (only buy in season fresh Bay scallops, these are naturally sweet, and the season is from November through mid January)
1 cup Wondra Flour
2 Tbs. Sweet Butter
2 Tbs. Grape Seed Oil
2 Lemons (cut in half, remove exposed seeds so they don't end up in your food!)
2 Tbs. Chopped Fresh Chervil or Parsley
2 cups Cauliflower Florets (yellow, purple, and/or white cauliflower; cut into florets and par cook in boiling salted water until tender, then cooled rapidly in ice water)
Salt and Fresh Ground White Pepper to taste

Method:

1. Shuck scallops and remove tough mussel attached to the side of scallop. (You can buy the scallops shucked, and then just remove the mussel with a spoon).

2. Season the scallops and then dust them with the flour, just a light coating to help prevent them sticking in the pan.

3. Pre-heat pan on medium high heat, then add grape seed oil.

4. When oil begins to lightly smoke, add the scallops into the pan (not the excess flour). The scallops should be in a nice even layer and be sizzling in the pan.

5. Let the scallops cook 2-3 minutes, do not stir them or mess with them. (If the pan is smoking too much, remove from heat and let cool down a bit.)

6. When first side of scallops look browned shake pan to turn them, or use a spoon to brown the other side. Add butter and cook another 2 minutes until butter browns in pan, then eat one to test sweetness and remove from heat. (The secret is you want the scallops to caramelize, turn golden brown, and release the natural sweetness and nuttiness.)

7. Squeeze lemon over the scallops and sprinkle with chopped chervil or parsley.

8. Plate up the warm squash purée (below) with a spoon, then decorate plate with cauliflower florets that you warmed in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

9. Spoon scallops on plate and then drizzle with some of the pan brown butter sauce.

Autumn Squash Purée with Curry:

Ingredients:
2 cups Butternut or Other Autumn Squash (peeled and diced)
2-3 cups Heavy Cream
1 Tbs. Curry Powder
Salt to Taste

Method:

1. Peel and cut squash into chunks.

2. Place in medium size pot and cover with heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and cook on gentle heat until squash is tender.

3. Remove squash from cream and purée in blender or with hand blender adjusting consistency with cream you cooked it in.

4. Finish with salt to taste and curry powder.