Yields: 8 -10 tacos
Ingredients
- 1¼ pound sea scallops about 16 scallops
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8-10 corn tortillas
For the Spring Mango Salsa:
- 1 ripe mango pitted, peeled, and diced small
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
- ½ cup julienned or finely chopped radish
- ½ packed cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- Juice from 1 lime
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
For the Avocado-Coconut Cream:
- 1 ripe Haas avocado
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 jalapeño pepper coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup light coconut milk the kind in the can
- ½ teaspoon honey
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Pat the scallops dry and season well on both sides with kosher salt. Place them on a paper towel-lined plate and refrigerate while you prep the salsa and cream.
- Start with the salsa. Combine all the ingredients for the mango salsa in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Next, whip up the avocado-coconut cream. Remove the pit from your avocado and spoon the flesh into the bowl of a food processor (or blender). Add the remaining ingredients along with a pinch of salt, and process until silky smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times if necessary. Taste, and add a little extra salt if it needs it. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Time to cook the scallops! Gently pat the scallops dry with paper towels (yes, you need to pat them dry twice), and season on both sides with fresh ground pepper.
- Heat your largest skillet (I like cast iron) over high heat. When hot, add ½ tablespoon each of the butter and olive oil. Once the butter is melted and bubbling, add half of the scallops to the skillet, leaving plenty of space between each one. Cook, undisturbed, for 90 seconds. DO NOT MOVE THE SCALLOPS. Carefully turn the scallops over and cook undisturbed for another 90 seconds. (Watch out, the fat may spit a little!) Transfer the scallops to a paper towel-lined plate plate.
- Wipe out the skillet and return it to the heat. Add the remaining ½ tablespoon each of butter and olive oil to the skillet. When the butter is bubbling, repeat the cooking process with the remaining scallops.
- Slice the seared scallops into quarters.
- Warm the tortillas in the microwave, or place them directly on your stove's burner for a couple seconds on each side to warm them through (and get a little char going).
- Assembly time! Spread each tortilla with a generous amount of avocado-coconut cream, and add 6-8 scallop pieces. Top with plenty of spring mango salsa and fiesta immediately.