Seared Scallops with Chestnut Puree

 I absolutely love scallops. My fiance on the other hand does not. So I rarely make them. But when I found myself with a fiance-free dinner recently, it was clear what I was going to make!

This recipe for Seared Scallops with Chestnut Puree from Cooking Light makes use of winter-y ingredients such as chestnuts and blood oranges to make a simple but seemingly fancy dinner.

Preheat your oven to 375°.

Add 1 cup whole chestnuts and 1/2 cup finely chopped chestnuts to a baking sheet (or two different baking sheets if you have them). Roast the chopped chestnuts for 5 minutes and the whole chestnuts for 10 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden brown.

Add the toasted whole chestnuts and the milk to a blender, processing until smooth.

Add the mixture to a small saucepan over medium heat. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. (It will thicken up when heated.)

Combine the blood orange juice, red wine vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl, whisking to combine.

Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add the scallops, working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding. Cook for 4 minutes or until browned on both sides and done, turning once. (When you go to turn the scallops, they should release easily from the pan. If they do not, give it a few more seconds and try again.)

Add the butter to a small saute pan and cook for 2 minutes or until browned. Stir in the thyme; it will crisp up.

Place 5 tablespoons puree on each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 4 scallops. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons butter mixture and 1 tablespoon juice mixture. Top each with 2 tablespoons toasted chopped chestnuts. Serve with dandelion greens.

This. Dish. Is. Fantastic. I could eat this all the time! It’s really simple to prepare too; it’s even short enough to make on a weeknight!

The sweetness of the chestnut puree is brightened up by the drizzle of vinaigrette. I love the sear of the scallops, which adds some texture and flavor along with the toasted chopped chestnuts and dandelion greens.

You could also serve this as an appetizer by adding a dollop of the puree to a small plate, placing one or two scallops on top, and drizzling with the butter mixture, juice mixture, and crushed chestnuts.

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