Having a lot of apples in the house is a lovely problem to have. This time of year when apples are at their peak, I try and order them weekly from our local CSA. No matter the variety, their crisp and sweet nature conjur up recipe ideas for desserts, breakfast treats and even savory dishes like this one.
I love the flavor combo of tender, buttery seared scallops and apples. Here I have paired the two in a seasonal Fall entree salad. Sliced apples are tossed together with bitter escarole greens, sliced shallots, and buttery toasted hazelnuts. I seared the scallops before topping each salad, and drizzled the greens with a flavorful coarse grain mustard and lemon juice vinaigrette. Healthy and seasonal, I love pairing a dinner salad like this one with toasted garlic bread and a cup of homemade soup.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Escarole Salad with Seared Scallops, Crisp Apples & Hazelnuts
Ingredients:
- 1 head of escarole, root end removed, leaves cut into bite-sized pieces (washed and patted dry)
- 1 large apple, sliced
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts
- 8 jumbo sea scallops, side muscle removed
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- For the vinaigrette:
- 1 Tablespoon coarse grain mustard
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- Juice of 2 lemons
Directions:
- Toss the prepped escarole, nuts, apple slices and shallots together in a large bowl. Divide among two dinner plates.
- Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
- Season each scallop on both sides with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over high heat. Add in the scallops and sear for 1 1/2 minutes on one side; then flip and cook for 30 seconds more. Top each salad with 4 scallops.
Tagged: apples, bitter greens, dinner salad, entree salad, escarole, escarole salad, hazelnuts, mustard vinaigrette, Salad, scallops, seared scallops, shallots
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