Scallop Saute With Creamy Miso Sauce

The original recipe comes from Harumi Kurihara. Using the scallops normally available in the US, I had some problems with amount of sauce in her original recipe and I altered to work better for me. The idea of combining hot food over chilled lettuce may sound unusual, but not so strange when you consider we have salads with grilled salmon or chicken on top in the US. You only need enough shredded lettuce to line the plate. If you do not have mirin, use sake or sherry.

• Ready In: 8 mins
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 lb sea scallops
•  salt, to taste
•  pepper, to taste
• 1  garlic clove, finely minced
•  flour, for dusting
• 1 -2  tablespoon  vegetable oil
•  lettuce leaf, for lining plate
• 2  tablespoons  cream
•  parmesan cheese, for dusting
• 2  tablespoons green onions, chopped

• For the Sauce

• 2  tablespoons white wine
• 2  tablespoons white miso
• 1  tablespoon mirin
• 1  teaspoon soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1  tablespoon water
• 1⁄2 tablespoon  whole grain mustard

Directions

1. Shred the lettuce leaves and line a plate with lettuce. Chill.
2. Make the sauce ingredients by combining white wine, miso, mirin, soy sauce, sugar, grain mustard and water. Set aside.
3. Season the scallops with salt, pepper and garlic. Lightly dust with flour.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat and saute both sides of the scallops until lightly browned on the outside, but still rare in the middle.
5. Remove from the pan and arrange the scallops on the bed of chilled lettuce leaves.
6. Turn down the heat to low to medium low and add the sauce to the pan. Stir. Add cream and reduce the sauce to two thirds.
7. Pour the hot sauce over the scallops. Sprinkle chopped green onion and Parmesan cheese.