Brown Butter Scallops

The perfect fall dish; seared scallops, on a bed of puréed butternut squash and apples, topped with a bacon, parmesan and walnut crumb, and finished with nutty brown butter and fried sage leaves. This dish comes together in less than thirty minutes and can easily be doubled for when guests come to visit!

Ingredients

5 tbsp butter
1/2 small Country Magic white or yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 c local butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cubed
1 Sweet Tango Apple peeled, cored, and cubed
1 c Stirlings’ apple cider
1 tbsp Acadian Maple maple sugar
5 slices of bacon
1/4 c walnut crumbs, toasted
1/4 c parmesan
6 sage leaves
enough to cover bottom of medium pan oil
6 Nova Scotian scallops, 10/20 count or similar
to taste salt
to taste pepper

Directions

Preparation time: Approximately 30 minutes
Serves: 2

For Purée: 

  1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter.
  2. Add onion and salt to pan and cook stirring until softened and translucent.
  3. Add butternut squash, apple, cider and stir to combine.
  4. Bring to a low boil, cover, and allow to cook until fully softened. Remove from heat, drain, and reserve liquid.
  5. Add maple sugar and blend with immersion blender or food processor until fully smooth. Add liquid 1 tbsp at a time. Season to taste.

For Bacon and Walnut Crumb (while purée is boiling):

  1. Place bacon in food processor and pulse 5 times.
  2. Add walnuts, parmesan and salt, and pulse 5 more times. Set aside.

For Sage: 

  1. Cover the bottom of a small pan with oil.
  2. Have a piece of paper towel and tongs ready, as it will cook quickly.
  3. Place over medium heat and allow to get quite hot.
  4. Add sage, being careful as it will splatter slightly. Cook until sage has become a dark green. Approx 30 seconds- 1 minute.
  5. Remove from pan and place on paper towel.

For Scallops: 

  1. Pat scallops dry with paper towel and season well.
  2. Using a cast iron skillet, over medium high heat, place butter in pan until melted, and add scallops, ensuring that they are not touching.
  3. Sear each side 1-2 minutes until golden and scallop is cooked through.
  4. Remove scallops from pan and continue to cook butter, if needed, until brown and nutty (be careful not to burn).

To Plate: 

  1. Divide purée amongst 2 deep plates or shallow bowls.
  2. Top with scallops, drizzle with brown butter, sprinkle with crumb, top with sage and season with flaky salt.


Local Source Guide

Bacon: Masstown Butcher, Meadowbrook Meat Market, The Pork Shop

Scallops: Fisherman’s Market International, Evan’s Fresh Seafoods & Restaurant, Afishionado Fishmongers, Clearwater Seafoods, Comeau Sea Foods

Produce: Noggins Corner Farm Market, Stirling Fruit Farms Ltd., Masstown Market, Country Magic, or one of the many other Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia

Apple Cider: Stirling Fruit Farms Ltd.

Maple Sugar: Acadian Maple Products 

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Recipe and photography provided by: Chef Danielle Duguay

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