Seared Scallops With Vanilla

Seared Scallops With Vanilla

3 or 4 Bay Scallops (use whatever size you like, make sure it’s (dry pack)

Kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

tiny piece (about 1/3 of a vanilla bean, split and scraped

zest from a lemon

1 ball Burrata cheese, chopped

1/3 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes, oven-roasted (recipe below)

chopped parsley to garnish

Before cooking the scallops, make sure they are very dry in order to get a good sear. The best way is to wrap them, in a lint free towel or paper towels and place in the refrigerator the day before you cook them.

Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat until the butter foams. Sear the scallops until golden brown on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. When you flip the scallops to sear the second side, lower the heat to medium and add the vanilla bean and its seeds to the pan. Zest the lemon over the scallops and add a small squeeze of lemon juice (from about 1 wedge).

To serve the dish, place the cheese down on your plate. Top with the warm scallops, dot with the roasted tomatoes and garnish with parsley.

For the roasted tomatoes

Preheat your oven to 400˚F. Fit a roasting rack over a baking sheet. Rinse and dry the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half. Toss with enough olive oil to lightly coat all tomatoes. Season with a large pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Arrange the tomatoes on the roasting rack, cut-side up. Roast for 10-12 minutes or until the tomatoes are puffed juicy in the center, slightly dried around the edges and lightly golden brown. Allow to cool, reserve extra tomatoes for another use. They are great tossed in to pasta dishes, salads and more!