Ingredients
- 10 ounces common mushrooms
- 1 ¼ pounds slender asparagus spears, to make 3 1/2 cups when prepared
- 2 ½ teaspoons fragrant mild honey, preferably lavender honey
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 2 scant teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 scant tablespoon dark green olive oil
- 2 tablespoons light olive oil
- 12 large sea scallops, 12 to 14 ounces, halved horizontally
- 2 tablespoons seasoned instant flour (see note)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
279 calories; 16 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 37 milligrams cholesterol; 369 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
Four servings
Preparation
- Coarsely chop the mushrooms and combine them in a large, non-reactive saucepan with five cups of water. Simmer gently for about one-and-a-half hours.
- Strain the liquid, pressing to get all possible juice. Discard mushrooms or reserve. Return the liquid to the pan and boil over high heat until reduced to about a half cup. Set aside.
- Break off the woody asparagus bottoms and peel the lower third. Remove the heads and halve them the long way, then slice the stems across into coins about one-eighth-inch-thick. Combine the honey, lime juice, tarragon and thyme in a small cup.
- Put the dark olive oil in a wide, nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the asparagus pieces and stir-fry for one-and-a-half minutes, or just until they start to change color. Stir in the honey mixture and cook one minute more, then remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the mushroom essence to the asparagus pan, raise the heat to high and reduce to a generous quarter cup. Set aside.
- Right before serving, put one tablespoon of the light olive oil in a wide, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dust half the scallop pieces with seasoned flour (see note), place them in the pan and add one tablespoon of the butter. Cook the scallops about one-and-a-half minutes per side, basting with the fat. They should be golden, barely cooked. Set aside, uncovered, and repeat with the remaining oil, butter and scallops.
- Add the reduced mushroom essence to the scallop pan and bring to a boil, scraping. Stir in the asparagus, plus any escaped juices, and reheat.
- Make a nest of the asparagus on each plate and pour the juices over them. Arrange six scallop pieces on each nest and serve at once.
- To make seasoned instant flour, combine three-quarters of a cup of ”instantized” flour (such as Wondra) with about 15 threads of saffron crushed to a powder and a quarter teaspoon each of dried marjoram, lemon thyme and summer savory. Stored tightly covered, this keeps indefinitely.
2 hours
Dining and Cooking