Brown butter AND Scallops AND Garlicky kale AND Mashed Potatoes?! Enough said.
Oh Monday... we meet again. Why does the weekend always have to end so soon? Fortunately, I have something for YOU look forward to. This dish. Oh my goodness- it is everything. If you eat fish, and you want to whip up a simple "looks so gourmet" dish, this is for you.
I only started eating Fish again, about a year and a half ago, and before that, I was a strict vegetarian/vegan. I would barely ever eat dairy, never ate eggs, and lived on tofu, veggie nuggets, and straight up vegetables. When Ryan moved to NY and I started cooking for us more, I found out how to get creative with foods that I didn't eat (since he ate EVERYTHING). After seeing more and more all the delicious meals he ate, and feeling like my body was missing nutrients, I went back to eating more dairy, eggs again, and slowly, but surely, fish. I don't eat fish all the time, but when I do, I like to make sure it is well worth it and make sure the dish comes out über flavorful!
NOW, take a closer look at the [bigger] picture above. The scallops are grilled too perfect, paired with sauteed kale & garlic, and placed over a bed of the creamiest mashed potatoes. OK my mouth is watering- let's get to the recipe STAT! BY the way.. vegetarian? NO PROBLEM! The mashed potatoes and kale ALONE are enough to fill ya!
Enjoy! xx S.
I N G R E D I E N T S:
- 1lb Scallops (or about 6-8)
- 4 Tbs unsalted butter, divided
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil, divided
- 5-6 cloves of Garlic, minced & divided
- 6-7 red potatoes, unpeeled & washed well
- 1-2 heaping teaspoons of Rosemary (or more to your preference!)
- Half & Half- or any type of milk for mashing
- White cooking wine
- Large handful of fresh Kale greens
- Salt & Pepper to taste
POTATOES: Rinse and dice red potatoes, and place in large pot with Rosemary, Salt & Pepper. Fill with water, cover, and bring to a boil. Once it reaching boiling point, lower to medium low and let cook until potatoes are soft (about 10-15 minutes). Drain, add 2 tablespoons of butter, and mash by hand with fork. Add a splash of half & half, and mix well with electric hand mixer. Once fluffy (um yummm), add salt & pepper to taste. OH the goodness. I can't handle these potatoes!
SCALLOPS: First, clean the scallops and make sure the tough ligament (if any) is removed from the side of the scallops. Rinse them under cold water and pat until completely dry. Sprinkle each side with salt. In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter & 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then, throw in (4 cloves) minced garlic and mix around until all coated and combined (you can also add a small sprinkle of Rosemary here for extra flavor!). Once the oil/butter mixture gets hot and garlic starts to sizzle, add the scallops. Cook on each side until golden- about 3 minutes on each side- and add a splash of white cooking wine. It will start to steam up and the aromas will fill the room (you MUST control yourself from diving in here- you'll burn your tongue!). Flip scallops again until each side gets crisp and super golden, and continue to spoon the butter garlic sauce over the scallops until done. Remove from heat and set aside.
KALE: In a small frying pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add (2 cloves) minced garlic and handful of Kale. Sprinkle salt & pepper, and saute until wilted. This step only take a few minutes, and finished! It's best to make this last :)
*NOTES: When making the potatoes, be careful not to over boil because the potatoes will get super gooey when mashing. Also, do not add too much butter and milk/half& half, or it will also become a strange consistency, and not the fluffy cloud of potatoes you want!