Scallops With Avocado Salsa

Submitted by MrsMM

"This is an awesome accidental find that I came across on msn.com, credited to Food & Wine. I can't possibly express how delicious this dish is. Each component is wonderful- it's almost a three-for-one deal- one recipe with 3 things that you can make just on their own. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. Couldn't wait to share with you all!"

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup basil leaves, finely shredded
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 jalapeno, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 lbs sea scallops
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 4 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

directions

1. In a large bowl, combine basil, lime juice, olive oil, onion, jalapeno and garlic.
2. With rubber spatula, gently fold in the avocados.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until browned outside, but still rare in the center- about 2 minutes per side.
5. Transfer scallops to warmed platter- keep them warm.
6. Add water and tomatoes to the same skillet and cook over med-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom until the water has reduced- this happens in about 2 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Pour the tomato sauce over the scallops and serve with avocado salsa on the side.
10. *Use the salsa and the sauce on steak, shrimp, with chips, in a sandwich -- the possibilities are endless!

Reviews

[kelly.lawver]

This is a really simple preparation that ends up looking and tasting like it took a lot of time! I used scallops that were pre-frozen so they released some water in cooking. If you do the same I would suggest skipping the water when you add tomatoes to the skillet. I ended up having to drain the tomato sauce to get the right consistency, but it still tasted great. As advertised, the avocado salsa can be added to anything-it is delicious!

 

[TasteTester]

The ingredients in this recipe looked so good that I knew I had to try it! We loved the delicious tomato/balsamic vinegar sauce, and the buttery taste of the avocado salsa really complemented the scallops. I can image using this salsa for tortilla chips, as one of the fillings in a tortilla, etc. When I make this again I'll only use half the amount of onion, however, as it tasted a little too strong, but perhaps it was because I used a regular yellow onion. Next time, I'm going to use a sweet onion such as a Vidalia. This is a great dish to serve company or celebrating a special occasion -- it's terrific!