The Mediterranean diet is a smorgasbord of cultures.
Smoked Scallops with Garlic Butter Couscous
Until sometime in the mid-2010's I had never eaten nor known of couscous. We were visiting family in an Orlando suburb and they took us to a restaurant which offered couscous as a side dish for several of it's menu selections. Not knowing any better, I ordered it on a fish plate and was literally amazed at the delicate pasta texture and the taste which reflected whatever it was cooked with. At that point in time I knew that couscous would be included in my future cooking endeavors.
Scallops are a different story from couscous. I'd dined on scallops, both bay scallops and sea scallops, a number of times in restaurants (mostly European) beginning in the late 1970's. Unfortunately, my attempts to cook them were mostly failures because they typically came out as overcooked or undercooked. Being the lazy cook that I am, I decided to retreat to restaurant scallops and that became the norm.
During these last few years I have really gotten into smoking meats using a pellet grill/smoker. Recently I was reading a book about smoking seafood and came across several recipes for smoking scallops. Well, I love smoking meats and I love scallops so that was the beginning of this recipe! I already had a recipe for Crawfish Scampi Couscous which is scrumpdillyumptious so I decided to use the same basic recipe but replace the crawfish with scallops and go a step further by smoking the scallops. I experimented several times and this recipe is the results. If somebody knows a word that describes something that tastes even better than being scrumpdillyumptious then please let me know so I can better describe this recipe!
Ingredients
For The Smoked Scallops
For the Couscous
Instructions
For The Smoked Scallops
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Preheat the smoker to 180°F.
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Place the thawed, dry scallops in a medium size bowl. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil, the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Toss to coat.
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In a large cast iron skillet add one tablespoon of coconut oil and heat it over high heat until the pan is very hot. Add the scallops and sear them on one side for 30 seconds and then, using tongs, quickly turn them and sear the other side for 30 seconds.
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Remove the hot skillet from the heat and, again using tongs, quickly transfer the seared scallops to a baking dish or pan. Allow the skillet to cool under running water; clean and dry the skillet.
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Place the seared scallops back in the (now cool) cast iron skillet. Add the garlic and chopped basil and gently stir to coat.
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Place the skillet with the scallops in the smoker. Using one or more temp probes inserted in the scallops, smoke until the internal temperature of the scallops is 145°F. Remove the skillet immediately. Transfer the smoked scallops to the large sauté pan and move to Step 5 below.
For the Couscous and Completion
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In a sauce pan over medium heat, toast the couscous in one tablespoon of EVOO until it begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, sherry, lemon juice and basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
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While the couscous is cooking, add the butter, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, and Cajun seasoning to a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Allow the butter to melt and whisk the ingredients well. Add the spinach and cover; cook for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the seasoned smoked scallops. Toss to coat with the buttery sauce and remember that the scallops are already cooked so you only want to heat them thoroughly, about 3 minutes. Remove the sauté pan from the heat and set it aside covered.
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The cook time for the couscous should now be over and the pasta tender. Drain off any remaining liquid. Remove the lid from the couscous and stir in the grated cheese, the garlic powder and the lemon zest. Add a dash of salt to taste. Mix well with a spoon.
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The cook time for the couscous should now be over and the pasta tender. Drain off any remaining liquid. Remove the lid from the couscous and stir in the grated cheese, the garlic powder and the lemon zest. Add a dash of salt to taste. Mix well with a spoon.
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Carefully pour the contents of the couscous pan into and over the buttery sauce and scallops in the large sauté pan. Toss to coat, return to medium heat and cook for 3 minutes stirring regularly. Serve and Buon appetito!
Serving Size 1 1/4 cups
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 418kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 15g24%
- Saturated Fat 7g35%
- Cholesterol 131mg44%
- Sodium 523mg22%
- Potassium 221mg7%
- Total Carbohydrate 47g16%
- Dietary Fiber 3g12%
- Sugars 2g
- Protein 24g48%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Sea scallops are found in deeper waters than bay scallops, and they're harvested year-round. They are larger in diameter, usually 1 1/2 to 2 inches. While still sweet and tender, sea scallops can be chewier than bay scallops and aren't as sweet. Sea scallops are more expensive than bay scallops. Source: EatingWell.com
About cooking oils - Anytime I am cooking on very hot cast iron, such as a cast iron skillet or a cast iron flat top grill, I prefer to use an oil that has a high smoke point ... this is especially true if I am cooking inside the house. Avocado oil has a smoke point of 480-520°F. and coconut oil is 400-450°F. For this recipe I decided on coconut oil because the cook time was very short and this oil provides a nutty taste to the scallops.
Choice of Cheese - Grana Padano became my choice of Italian grated cheese recently and that's why I used it. Fresh grated Parmesan (i.e. Parmigiano Reggiano) or Asiago are more commonly available and either would be fine in this recipe. Just be sure to try and use fresh grated and avoid packaged, processed cheese if at all possible. Read my blog entry Cheese ... good substitutes for Parmesan and you'll learn more.