A dish for lovers of mushrooms, which are blended into the polenta, used to garnish the dish, and are an integral part of the nage, or sauce, that tops the seared scallops and sauteed polenta dia monds.

Pan-seared Scallops with Polenta by Tim Keating
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Pan-seared Scallops with Polenta by Tim Keating

By March 24, 2016

A dish for lovers of mushrooms, which are blended into the polenta, used to garnish the dish, and are an integral part of the nage, or sauce, that tops the seared scallops and sautéed polenta diamonds.

Ingredients

Instructions

To prepare the scallops: Remove the scallops from their shells if necessary and clean all tissue from around the scallops. In a medium bowl, combine the scallops with the olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper, and let sit for
20 to 30 minutes.

To make the polenta: In a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the mushrooms until they are ten der, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, stir the polenta into the cold water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping down the sides of the pan until the mix ture is thick and no longer grainy, about 25 minutes. Add the butter and Parmesan cheese and mix well. Fold in the sauteed mushrooms, dried tomatoes, and the herbs, and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper.

Line a 1-inch-deep sided baking sheet (a jelly roll pan) with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and lightly brush the paper or foil with 1 table spoon of the olive oil. Spread the polen ta in the pan and smooth with a rubber spatula. Brush another sheet of parch ment paper or foil with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and place oil-side down on the polenta. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to chill completely, at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

To make the nage: In a large saute pan or skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil and butter until the butter foams. Add the fresh and soaked dried mush rooms, and saute until they are a rich brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, shallots, stock, and parsley, and stir until well combined. Place this mixture in a medium saucepan.

Cut the kernels from the ear of com, scraping the cob with a knife to remove all of the milk. Add to the saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, and cook
for 15 to 18 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine-meshed sieve, return it to the pan, and cook over medium heat to reduce it by one-half, about 15 minutes. Set the sauce aside and keep warm.

Cut the polenta into 2-inch diamond shapes and dust them on both sides with some of the uncooked polenta. In a large saute pan or skillet over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and saute the polenta quickly in batches, adding 2 more tablespoons of oil as needed, until golden brown, 2 to 3 min utes on each side. Place the sauteed polenta on a baking sheet and place in a warm oven until ready to arrange on serving plates.

In a large, heavy saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute the scallops in batches, turning to sear on all sides, until they are golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

To prepare the garnish: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a boil. Blanch the morels in the stock for 1 minute. Drain, reserving the blanching liquid.

In a large, heavy saute pan or skillet over high heat, heat the olive oil and saute the shiitake and oyster mush rooms, tossing constantly, until they are browned and tender, about 12 to

I 15 minutes. Add the morels, reduce
heat to medium, and toss with the herbs and reserved blanching liquid. Continue to cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Add the white wine to the pan and stir. Set aside.

In a small saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, blanch the carrots, baby com, and haricots verts or baby green beans until just tender, about 6 to

8 minutes; drain. In a medium saute pan or skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter foams, saute the vegetables for 2 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Roast the ear of corn, in its husk, for 12 minutes. Remove the husk and, using a large knife, cut off the kernels in long sections. Set aside.

To serve: Place 5 diamonds of polenta in the center of each serving plate with the points touching in the center. Place

1 scallop on top of each polenta diamond. Arrange some vegetables in the center, standing them upright as much as possible. Sprinkle each plate with the mushrooms and ladle some of the nage over the scallops, polenta, and mushrooms. Add strips of corn kernels and sprigs of fresh rosemary to each plate.

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