I picked up this cookbook because I love to read stories with recipes. This is a well written book with lots of glossy photos. The recipes are interesting without being overly complicated. The book is divided into chapters by months of the year which promotes their idea of cooking foods in season. This makes it a bit difficult to find a particular recipe but the index is a great help.
There are quite a few recipes I have marked to try. The breakfast pizza photo makes me hungry just looking at it!
This dish was outstanding! The cauliflower puree with creamy and rich. It paired perfectly with the scallops (I used about 2 pounds of scallops) and the reduction cut through the creaminess. I didn't have any tangerines so I used orange juice instead. This recipe is elegant for entertaining but quick enough for a weeknight dinner.
Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree and Tangerine Reduction
The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook
For the Tangerine Reduction
- 1 cup tangerine juice (from 6 to 8 tangerines)
For the Cauliflower Puree:
- 1 small head cauliflower
- kosher salt
- 1 tbsp champagne or any white vinegar
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- freshly ground pepper
For the Seared Scallops
- 8 large day-boat scallops
- kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Place the tangerine juice in a small saucepan and reduce it over medium-high heat until it is syrupy, 10 minutes. You should be left with about 2 tablespoons. Set it aside.
Cut the cauliflower into florets, making sure they are similar in size. Fill a medium pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add 1 tbs salt, the vinegar, and the cauliflower, bring back to a boil and cook until the cauliflower is very tender, about 12 minutes. Drain the cauliflower.
Combine the chicken stock and heavy cream in a small saucepan, and warm the mixture over medium heat. Put the cooked cauliflower and the warm cream mixture in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the puree to a small saucepan and keep it warm over very low heat.
Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat and drizzle the oil into it. Add the butter and let it melt. Place the scallops, flat side down, in the skillet. Don't move the scallops! It takes only about 3 minutes to quickly sear the scallops and create a caramelized exterior, and moving them will prevent this from happening. When the scallops have a rich brown color, flip them over and cook for another 3 minutes.
To serve, spoon the cauliflower puree onto a platter. Put the scallops right on top (always put the puree on the plate first-if you pour it over the scallops, you'll ruin the caramelized surface), and finish with a drizzle of the tangerine reduction, warmed a little if needed.
