Lulu's Pan Roasted Sea Scallops

A loving, 36-year partnership and Venus, the Goddess of Love have inspired the Valentine’s Day four-course dinner menu on Friday, February 14, at LuLu & Me restaurant (253 Fifth Avenue, New York City). The restaurant’s owners – Chef Karen Fohrhatz Miele and her husband/manager Michael Miele guarantee to get right to your lover’s heart for just $55 per person. “The love of great food and drink is often the recipe to bring lovers together,” say the Mieles, who have been married restaurateurs for more than three decades, and opened the eclectic, new world restaurant LuLu & Me in 2012. Here is Chef Karen’s Sea Scallops - red quinoa, parsnips, limonata, which is one of the entrees on the menu. For reservations call 212-290-2460 or visit www.luluand.me.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 12 scallops

Ingredients

• 12  large  dry sea scallops (about 2 oz. per scallop)
• 1  cup  red quinoa
• 3  cups  shrimp stock (*)
• 1⁄4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
• 1⁄4 cup white wine
• 4  tablespoons  cold unsalted butter
• 1⁄8 teaspoon Thai fish sauce
• 1⁄2 cup  diced parsnip
• 1 1⁄2 cups frisee, coarsely chopped
• 12  chives

• For Limonata sauce

• 3  roasted garlic cloves, smashed and chopped fine
• 3⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1  lemon, zest of
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons salt
• 4  ounces canola oil
• 4  ounces extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. To Prepare Quinoa:
2. Reconstitute dried porcini mushrooms with 1/2c. hot water.
3. Set aside for 10 minutes. Strain off water. Reserve.
4. Chop porcini mushrooms. Set aside.
5. Rinse quinoa until water runs clear.
6. Place in medium saucepan:
7. Bring 2 cups water, 2 cups shrimp stock & 1/4c.white wine to a boil.
8. Season lightly with salt.
9. Add quinoa.
10. Cook for about 10minutes.
11. Add chopped porcini mushrooms and the reserved porcini water to quinoa.
12. Continue to cook quinoa for about 10 minutes more until tender. Keep warm.
13. Prepare Scallops:
14. Season with salt and pepper.
15. Sear scallops on both sides.
16. Place in 400 degree oven for about 4 minutes.
17. Saute diced parsnips. Season with salt.
18. Add remaining cup of shrimp stock to parsnips.
19. Add quinoa and frisee to pan.
20. Add cold butter. Stir to blend in butter and heat the quinoa.
21. Add Thai fish sauce and 1 Tbsp limonata.
22. Add chives.(reserve a few for garnish).
23. Divide quinoa among 4 plates.
24. Place scallops on top of quinoa.
25. Dress each scallop with a splash of limonata .
26. Garnish with chives.
27. * Chef Fohrhaltz makes her shrimp stock by sautéing shrimp shells with a sofritto of mixed vegetables, tomato, water and white wine.