Pineapple Fusion Scallops

Paula of bellalimento.com or “good food” in Italian kindly allowed me to use one of her seafood recipes, and this one looked amazing. Paula is an American who grew up in Italy and can really cook amazing Italian food.

Scallops are low in saturated fat a good source of Vitamin B12, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc and Copper, and a very good source of Protein, Phosphorus and Selenium. Scallops are also wonderful for summer and most recipes are either butter, garlic and wine based or they are fried. Paula’s is neither and is truly artistic.

The pineapple and mango reduction fuses beautifully with the scallops! Sweet harmony with a little kick thrown in at the end (cayenne) – you’ll look like a rock star in the kitchen when you serve this dish up!

Save a slice of your Pineapple and use it as a mini platter for your scallops & garnish with flat leaf Italian Parsley or for an even more dramatic presentation serve your scallops in their natural shell. Just remember to keep your scallops refrigerated until you’re ready to cook them. Since these are the larger variety of scallops, 3-4 per person should be plenty.

A nice wild rice pilaf & white wine would also go beautifully with the scallops!

Pineapple Fusion Scallops

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of fresh sea scallops
• 1/2 cup Fresh Pineapple – chopped
• 1 cup Mango Nectar
• 1 good size pinch Cayenne Pepper
• 1/4 cup Honey
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh Flat Leaf Italian Parley – optional

Method:

1. In a sauce pan over medium heat combine pineapple, a dab of olive oil & mango nectar & reduce by half. Season with salt & pepper.
2. Add in cayenne & honey. Stir well.
3. Transfer mixture to food processor and pulse until you reach a somewhat smooth consistency. Allow to cool.
4. While sauce mixture is cooling add a few turns of olive oil to your skillet & heat over medium high heat. Season scallops with salt & pepper.
5. When olive oil is hot, add your scallops to skillet. Allow your scallops to sear before you turn them. Just a few minutes on each side.
6. Plate your scallops and generously put the sauce mixture on top. Garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley

Buon Appetito!

For more wonderful Italian recipes see Paula’s blog Bella Alimento