Turmeric Scallops with Minted Pea Puree

We were watching an episode of Come dine with me recently and one of the starters was Turmeric scallops and minted pea soup, I was definitely intrigued.

I am not usually one for adding strong flavours to delicate tasting seafood, especially expensive seafood like scallops as I am always worried it overwhelms the seafood and it turns out to be a waste but this one just got me and I had to give it a try. I made a minted pea puree instead of soup as I didn't want the soup to take centre stage so to speak.

There are a few recipes on the internet some with a lot of ingredients and some with few so for my first attempt I wanted to go with less is more. I think garlic is great with scallops and hoped that it would complement the Turmeric and oh my word, they were absolutely delicious, you could taste the turmeric but it was subtle enough not to disguise the scallops, it has given me the 'courage' to try stronger flavours with seafood.

You can adjust the ingredients for the number of people you are serving, this serves two-four people.

 Turmeric scallops

12 scallops

1 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/4 tsp ground Turmeric

salt & pepper

Method

1.  In a small bowl, combine scallops, olive oil, garlic and turmeric. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 3 hours. Allow scallops to come to room temperature, remove from fridge approx 30 minutes before cooking. Do not put them in a warm place or in the sun.

2.  Heat a small pan over a medium-high heat until hot. Season scallops with salt and pepper, cook for 2 minutes on each side depending on the size of the scallops, large ones will need 2-3 minutes, the sides should look opaque all the way through. Season to taste.

The minted pea puree can be made earlier in the day, put pea puree in the fridge to cool, this should help to prevent colour fading. Reheat on low until warm.

Minted Pea Puree

200 g frozen peas

1/2-3/4 cup water

pinch salt

2 tbsp fresh mint leaves

Method

1.  Add peas, water, salt and mint to a pan, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered until peas are tender. Remove from heat and allow to sit for a couple of minutes before draining.

2.  Drain peas and mint, transfer to a blender, blend until smooth, season with salt and pepper. For a smoother puree, push the mixture through a fine sieve using the back of a spoon or ladle.

Enjoy