Pan Seared Diver Scallops

Dinner: Pan Seared Scallops over Whipped Potatoes with mushrooms, Sauteed Asparagus, Carmel Road 2007 Pinot Noir

For the scallops, I used the following two recipes for inspiration:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/pan-seared-divers-scallops-with-roasted-red-pepper-paint-and-basil-oil-recipe/index.html

and

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/seared-scallops-with-morel-cream-sauce-recipe/index.html

It was a pretty easy dinner to put together. Earlier in the day I was able to peel, dice, and boil two Idaho potatoes (at the same time I was boiling water for the boys pasta dinner), and then I dumped them into the KitchenAid mixer, mixed them, and added 1/3 cup of hot milk, and mixed again. I also took out the scallops, cleaned them, and cleaned and trimmed the asparagus.

Then, 30 minutes before Javier came home, I rough chopped pre-sliced baby bella mushrooms, threw them in a saucepan that had a bit of olive oil and a few tbsp of butter, sauteed them, threw in a splash of the Pinot Noir and reduced it, and then mixed in the potatoes. Done.

For the asparagus, I threw them in a glass pan with a splash of water, salted them, and put them in the microwave for 45 seconds. Then I added lemon olive oil and a pat of butter to a non-stick pan, and sauteed up the aspargus for just a few minutes.

For the scallops, I used paper towels to make sure they were super dry, then I lightly scored them with a paring knife, salted and peppered them. When Javier got home and went upstairs to change, I heated up vegetable oil in a frying pan, and while it got nice and hot, I dredged all of the scallops in flour and patted off the extra, then put them in the hot oil. After about three minutes (a nice crust forms on the bottom) I added a couple pats of butter for flavor, waited another 30 seconds, and turned the scallops and let them cook for another two minutes or so. Again, I looked more at the crust forming on the bottom.

Overall, I think the dinner was good. The scallops and asparagus were better than the potatoes. I don't know if I liked the texture of the potatoes. I think next time I would use a soft polenta, Javier thinks with the mushrooms, but I would maybe keep it lighter and use fresh herbs. Also for the scallops, maybe start them in a slightly higher heat pan, to sear them quicker and get them off the heat cooker. Last, if we're being super picky, we could shave the thickest end of the asparagus so that it's the same thickness as the rest and cooks for the same amount, and maybe put in a bit of sage. Suggestion from Javier - who hates cauliflour - to make a cauliflour puree as the base.

Portion: I bought way too much! I bought 9 scallops (1.08 lbs), I cooked 7, we ate 5. This is good to know because it essentially cuts the cost of the dinner in half.

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the wine (but I always do, so I must defer to Javier on the nuances of the wine) - the bottle runs around $20 - it's a great light red wine that's very drinkable despite the heat of the summer.