VIRGINIA THIS MORNING: Seared Scallops in a Papaya Sauce

RICHMOND, Va (WTVR) - No need to make reservations tonight.  Chef Eric Breckoff puts together a tasty dish featuring seared Scallops in a Papaya Sauce with Black Rice and Braised Bok Choy.

www.jsr.vccs.edu

Seared Scallops & Coconut Papaya Sauce with Black Rice and Braised baby Bok Choy

Scallops:

12           oz.          large scallops, washed cleaned and patted dry

1              oz.          canola oil

S&P                        to taste

Sauce:

1              tsp.        canola oil

1              can         coconut milk

1              TBSP      ginger, peeled and cut into small dice

¼             cup         Thai Basil, sliced thin

1              each      Papaya, ripe, peeled and cut into medium dice

S&P                        to taste

Method:

Sauce: Make sauce by sweating ginger in the canola oil until fragrant.  Add coconut milk.  Cook until coconut milk reaches a simmer.  Reduce the coconut milk until thickened.  Add papaya and continue to simmer, taste.  Adjust salt & pepper, taste. Reserve sauce and keep warm.  1 minute before plating the dish add the basil, and stir.

Scallops: Wash and clean scallops, pat dry. Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Lightly salt the scallops.

When the pan is hot, add the scallops in two batches. Sear the scallops for 1 ½ to 2 minutes or so on the first side until a golden crust forms.  Turn scallops over and cook for another 1 ½ to 2 minutes and the second side until a golden crust forms as well. Serve with the sauce.

Black Rice:

1              cup         Black (forbidden) rice

1              pint        low sodium chicken stock

½             tsp.        garlic, finely minced

½             tsp.        ginger, finely minced

1              tsp.        canola oil

Method:

Sweat garlic and ginger on low heat in the canola oil, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and the stock.  Bring to a boil and quickly reduce to a very low simmer and cook about 20-25 minutes until tender. Hold rice warm until needed.

Braised Bok Choy:

1-2          head      baby bok choy, sliced lengthwise to two pieces

1              tsp.        soy sauce

8-12       oz.          low sodium chicken stock

Method:

Pour stock into a pan and heat to a low simmer.  Add the soy sauce and the bok choy. Braise over low heat until bok choy is tender.

To assemble the dish prepare the items for this dish in the following order:

1. Prep all ingredients
2. Wash, & clean the scallops and hold chilled.
3. Make the rice.
4. While the rice is cooking make the sauce.
5. While the sauce is cooking make the bok choy.
6. Once the rice, sauce and bok choy are almost finished cook the scallops
7. Plate by placing a nice spoonful of rice slightly off center on the plate.
8. Drape one bok choy slightly next to and over the rice.
9. Place cooked scallops on the rice/bok choy