Seared Scallops with Roasted Beet Puree

Treat yourself to sweet Seared Scallops with Roasted Beet Puree for a casual, elegant meal. Tender, caramelized scallops nestled on greens in swirls of a vibrant, velvety sauce is irresistible. The best part is making them disappear!

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Preparing the Beet Puree

When it comes to beets, people fall into one of three camps. Love them. Hate them. Or, like them but don't want to deal with them. "They're dirty and stain everything." While they are dirty (since they grow in dirt) and have intense pigment that stains, when treated properly they're quite innocent and delicious.

That being said, there are a few ways to approach beets. You can roast, boil, steam them, or even buy an already-cooked package of them at the grocery store. Decisions, decisions!

Though it requires a hot oven, roasting beets, rather than boiling or steaming, concentrates beets' flavors and sugars, and brings out their sweeter side.

Tips for Cooking Beets

• Cut off the leaves, rinse and save for another use. Rinse the beets thoroughly. Remaining grit can turn sweet beets into muddy beets. No fun.
• Wear gloves! Once roasted, beets are super easy to peel but be sure to protect your hands unless you want to wash them a gazillion times. Do the same when handling anything coated in turmeric!
• Plastic cutting boards work best with beets. Layer parchment over wooden boards as they are porous, and stains are nearly impossible to remove. If you stain a marble board, go shopping. You'll need a new one.

Unpeeled roasted beets aren't much to look at but what lies beneath is rather special. You gotta love that color. These sweet and tender chunks are ready to puree into an awesome sauce with a little help from olive oil, sherry wine vinegar, honey, fresh tarragon, and of course, s+p. After just 30-45 seconds you'll have a velvety smooth puree.

Homemade Beets vs Packaged Beets

Because curiosity often gets the best of me, I made the puree with packaged beets and with roasted beets. Could there really be much of a difference? I wanted to know because I totally understand what it's like to be short on time, and the need to take a quicker route on occasion. Plus, I wanted to be prepared with an answer, should any of you ask the question!

Well, the verdict is (drumroll please) scroll down if you haven't already done so. 🙂 When in a pinch, go with already-cooked beets. The puree still tastes great and you save yourself at least an hour.

But if you have time, the richer flavor and brilliant color of using fresh, roasted beets reigns supreme (yep, the one on the right). As the saying goes, you get out of it, what you put into it. That certainly rings true here.

The great news is either version can be made a couple days ahead, making your scallop searing night a breeze.

How to Prepare Scallops

Now on to these ivory-pinkish puffs of beauty! Scallops are showstoppers when done right, and total flops when done wrong. Searing is quick yet tricky.

Expert Tips

• Buy dry-packed scallops over wet-packed. Wet-packed are soaked in a bath of phosphates that add water-weight to make the scallops swell. Water-weight you ultimately pay for. Dry scallops are phosphate-free, caramelize beautifully, and have a naturally sweet taste, whereas "wet" scallops tend to have an unpalatable soapy flavor.
• Scallops should smell sweet and a little briny out of the package, not fishy.
• These are fairly large 15-20 count scallops, meaning 15-20 per pound.
• Remove the little, innocent-looking muscle tabs (shown below). They're tough when cooked and harbor grit and sand. Rather unpleasant. They peel off easily with your fingers.
• Rinse your scallops, drain, then pat dry. And, dry again, and again, and again. Sorry to hammer this home, but if your scallops aren't dry, dry, dry, you'll be steaming them in a puddled pan rather than giving them a good sear.
• A good sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper on the scallops does the trick.

How to Sear Scallops

Get a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet nice and hot with a thin layer of oil. It's best to work in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. These babes take only one in a half to two minutes per side to cook. You're looking for a caramelized crust on the top and bottom, and tender but not quite opaque in the center.

I simply served the scallops over a bed of greens and drizzled the beet puree over. You can get rather artistic with the plating if you like! It took all my might not to dive into the bowl when photographing. Eat well, friends!

Side Dishes to Serve

Here are some side dish ideas along with other appetizers, salads, sauces and complementary main courses for a complete customized meal centered around scallops.

Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted Green Vegetable Medley

Potato Leek & Fennel Gratin

Mediterranean Rice Stuffed Tomatoes

More Super Tasty Recipes from the Sea to Try!

Sautéed Caramelized Salmon

Seared Scallop Lettuce Wraps w/ Cashew Butter Sauce

Fish Tacos Al Pastor w/ Grilled Pineapple Salsa

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