WINTER RECIPE

SEARED MAINE SCALLOPS
with Roasted Crimson Pears and Brown Butter

Chef Sean Hartley serves these savory scallops as a winter appetizer at Palace Kitchen. "Stark Crimson" is a variety of red pears with nice, firm texture and good scarlet color, but you could use any firm, ripe pear that you prefer. Scallops are available both "dry pack" and "wet pack," though they are not usually labeled as such at the retail level. Talk to your fish purveyor and see if you can get "dry pack" for this recipe. "Wet pack" scallops have been soaked to help preserve them, but they will leak water in a hot pan and won't sauté properly.

Ingredients:
2 firm but ripe Stark Crimson pears, or other pears
olive oil for brushing
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 large fresh sea scallops, preferably "dry pack"
about 2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
juice from ½ lemon
chervil leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 450°F. Halve and core the pears, brush with olive oil season with salt and pepper, and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast them until warmed through and just soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and slice pears thinly lengthwise. Fan each pear half on a warm plate.

Pat the scallops dry on paper towels. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. When the oil is very hot, almost smoking, add the scallops to the pan in a single layer. (Don't crowd the scallops or they will steam rather than sear. Use 2 pans if necessary.) Brown the scallops on both sides, which will only take a couple minutes, and season with salt and pepper. Remove the scallops from the pan and arrange 3 scallops around each pear half. Keep the plates warm while you make the brown butter sauce.

If you have scallop juices in the pan, pour them off and reserve them. Wipe the pan out with a paper towel and allow it to cool slightly. Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter. Melt the butter and continue to cook, gently swirling the pan to prevent burning, until the butter is golden brown and has a nutty aroma. Add the lemon juice and the reserved scallop juice to the brown butter. (Be careful because the mixture will bubble up.)

Season with salt and pepper, then lightly drizzle some brown butter over each serving of pear and scallops. Scatter a few chervil leaves over each plate if desired.

Makes 4 appetizer servings.