Wild Mediterranean: Sweet Scallop Skewers - California Olive Oil Council

From her freshly-released book, Stella Metsovas welcomes us to the WILD MEDITERRANEAN lifestyle; a concept she developed from her upbringing in a Greek household and the benefits behind a healthy gut. Holding the value of olive oil high in this life practice, Stella has shared this recipe as a way to incorporate California COOC-certified extra virgin olive oil for your indulgence.

If you could wrap up all the flavors of the Mediterranean into one dish it would be this one. Blending bitter and sweet with the fresh, briny flavor of the sea, this recipe brings me back to the Greek Islands. It’s almost effortless to make. The great thing about scallops is that they’re low in mercury and rich in the quality proteins I recommend in the sea-tox. Remove the tough little side muscle from each scallop before skewering.

Wild Bonus: Radicchio, a bitter green, is part of the chicory family. This family of greens has been studied for its ability to replenish and balance gut bacteria. *

Ingredients:

12 medium sea scallops (about 1 pound), tough muscle removed
1 medium red onion, cut into chunks
1 head radicchio, leaves separated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons organic honey
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Celtic sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Thread the scallops, onion chunks, and radicchio leaves alternately onto four 12-inch skewers.

Directions:

In a large cast-iron pan or grill pan, heat the butter over medium-high until very hot but not smoking. Working in batches is necessary, add the skewers and cook, flipping once, until the scallops are golden brown and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. If needed, add a tiny bit more butter between batches so the scallops do not stick to the pan. Transfer the skewers to a large plate. In a small saucepan, gently warm the honey and olive oil over low heat. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Drizzle the sauce over the skewers and serve immediately.

* https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25272847