Baked Scallops And Seared Tournedos With Artichoke Hearts And Asparagus Tips Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Turn drained artichokes upside down to get all the liquid out. Halve artichoke hearts, lengthwise. Drizzle a small casserole dish with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and spread it around the dish with a pastry brush. Arrange the halved artichoke hearts with tops up, bottoms down, in a layered pattern in the dish. Squeeze the juice of 1/4 lemon over the hearts.
• Preheat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add oil and butter to the skillet. When butter melts into oil, add garlic and anchovies. Using the back of a wooden spoon, work anchovies into oil as they break up. When anchovies have dissolved into oil, add bread crumbs to the pan and lightly toast, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add parsley, cheese and black pepper, stir to combine and remove pan from heat. Top artichokes with an even layer of bread topping and set in the middle of oven. Bake 10 minutes until artichokes are warm and topping is deep golden brown in color.

Steps:

• Asparagus: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously (make it as salty as seawater). Trim the woody ends from asparagus and discard; then submerge asparagus in the boiling water. Cover with lid just until the water comes back to a boil, then uncover and cook until al dente (tender but with just a little crunch), 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice water.
• Asparagus are done when they bend without snapping. Use a spider strainer to transfer them to the ice bath; submerge and stir to immediately stop the cooking. Reserve cooking water (to thin purée). Cut asparagus tips and reserve for garnish. Cut stalks into 2-inch pieces and set aside.
• Place asparagus stalks in the blender and cover with lid; pulse a few times. Remove the smaller cap in the lid and turn blender to medium speed. Ladle in a slow stream of cooking water (about ½ cup) to help the asparagus purée. Use caution, as the water and purée are hot! Replace the cap, then purée on high speed. When the purée is smooth, strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl to remove any fibrous strands. Salt the purée to taste and set aside.
• Scallops: Place scallops on paper towels in an even layer and pat dry; this is an important step to get a nice sear. Pull off and discard any tough side-muscles (their fibers run against the grain of the rest of the scallop). Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, then add oil. (Add more as needed to coat the bottom of the skillet.) When the oil begins to ripple, add scallops in an even layer without crowding. Let cook undisturbed, 60-90 seconds. Scallops are ready to flip when they are evenly caramelized and no longer stick to the skillet. Before flipping, sprinkle with sea salt. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the asparagus purée.
• When scallops are golden brown on the first side, they should release easily from the skillet. Using a small offset spatula, flip each scallop to sear the second side; continue sautéing, 30-45 more seconds, depending on size. Remove scallops to a paper towel-lined plate and let rest while finishing the sauce.
• Add half of the asparagus tips to the warmed purée. Add butter, then swirl the saucepan continuously until all the butter has melted and emulsified into the purée to make a rich sauce.
• Immediately before serving, add the lemon juice to the asparagus sauce and stir to combine; taste and adjust seasoning. Divide the sauce among plates or large bowls, then place the scallops on the sauce. Garnish with remaining asparagus tips and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. With slightly moistened hands, form the mixture into 8 cakes, each about 1/2 inch thick.
• Coat a large nonstick skillet lightly with oil. Heat over medium-low heat until hot. Add as many fish cakes as will comfortably fit in pan. Cook until nicely browned on both sides and scallops are cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.