Chimichurri Scallops

Guinea Pig got a new job a few weeks and to celebrate, I decided to take him out to a little South American restaurant around the corner from his house called Cucharamama. I actually got a pasta dish (I wasn’t feeling very adventurous), but he got a wood-burning oven cooked steak with chimichurri sauce that he loved.

The first Friday after he started, we had both had very, very, very long weeks. I wanted to make something delicious and comforting to signify the end of the week, but it was Friday during Lent so my pork tenderloin AND my flank steak ideas were out. I settled on scallops and roasted artichokes. (The artichoke steamed somehow rather than roasted and was a disappointment. L) I served the scallops with my attempt at chimichurri sauce and jasmine rice.

To be honest, scallops weird me out a little. They taste amazing when done right, but if you overcook them even a tiny bit, it’s like chewing a rubber band. So I was a little nervous. But they turned out well! The recipe earned me an 8.5 on the Guinea Pig scale!

For the chimichurri sauce:

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

1 tsp. oregano, dry leaves

1 tsp. black pepper, ground

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Finely grated lemon zest from 3 lemons

4 oz. fresh lemon juice

1 bunch flat leaf (Italian) parsley (Careful here! I missed some stems, which ended up in my chimichurri!)

3/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Combine the garlic, salt, oregano, peppers, lemon zest and lemon juice in a food processor and blend into a paste.

Add the Italian parsley and pulse chop until parsley is 1/8 inch in size.

At this point, remove all of the ingredients from the processor and add the olive oil. (I added it to the food processor and it emulsified a little too much!)

Play with the seasonings a bit (I ended up adding more lemon), and allow the sauce to marinate for 30 minutes before serving, but the longer the better.

Adapted from: http://www.bonefishgrill.com/behind-the-scenes/recipes/chimichurri-sauce/

For the scallops:

Ingredients

2 Tbsp each of butter and olive oil

1 lb. large bay scallops

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pat dry the scallops and let them sit a bit before they are seared. Scallops sear best when they are completely dry.

Once dry, salt and pepper each side of the scallops and let them sit for maybe 5-10 minutes before you cook them.

In a hot, nonstick pan, melt I Tbsp each of the butter and oil (it helps the butter not burn). Then add half of the scallops and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, depending on how thick the scallops are. I like to flip the first side after about 2-3 minutes, and then know they are “done” when they are semi-firm when poked with a spatula.

Keep the first batch warm (I used an aluminum foil tent) while you cook the second batch the same way.

Top with the chimichurri sauce and serve!