Scallops with Chorizo, Rajas & Mushrooms
WHAT YOU NEED
- For the Chorizo con Rajas & Mushrooms:
- 1 pound of Button or Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
- 6 poblano peppers
- ½ diced large white onion, small pieces
- 3 Tablespoons Cacique Crema Mexicana
- ½ cup whole milk
- 8 ounces Cacique Pork Chorizo
- For the Scallops:
- 18 x 10/20 Fresh diver scallops
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- Sea salt
- For the marinated fennel:
- 1 fennel bulb
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- Sea salt
- Garnish:
- Minced chives or green onions
HOW TO MAKE IT
- For the Chorizo con Rajas & Mushrooms: Roast the poblano peppers over an open burner on your stove until the skin is completely charred and blistered. This can be done in two batches of 3 at a time. Place the charred poblano peppers in a plastic bag or a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 5 minutes to loosen the skins. Then, peel away the charred skin with a damp kitchen towel or scrape away with a paring knife. Cut the stems off the roasted and peeled poblano peppers and slice down the middle lengthwise to expose the interior. Scrape away the seeds with a small paring knife, then cut the chiles into ½ inch thick strips and dice into ½ inch squares. Next, warm a large sauté pan to medium heat and add the Cacique Pork Chorizo. Cook, stirring often, until meat is crumbled and browned, around 10 minutes. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate. In the same pan, without washing, add the diced white onion, cook on medium-high heat, adding ½ tbsp of vegetable oil if onions are sticking. Cook for 5-8 minutes until onions are translucent, fragrant and soft. Then, add the sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt to the pan. The salt will help release the moisture from the mushrooms. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes until mushrooms are reduced by half and all moisture has evaporated. Add the diced roasted poblano peppers to the pan stirring to incorporate and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the whole milk and cook until milk is reduced by half. Turn off the heat and add the cooked Cacique Pork Chorizo and Cacique Crema Mexicana to the pan, stir to incorporate, season with sea salt and set aside while you cook the scallops.
- For the Scallops: To begin, add vegetable oil to a medium non-stick pan and bring to medium-high heat. The oil should be shimmering but not smoking. Season the scallops on both sides with sea salt and add scallops to the pan - this can be done in 2 batches if your pan is not large enough to cook all 18 scallops. Don’t crowd the pan, the scallops should have space between each other. Sear the scallops checking every minute or so for color. Scallops should be well golden brown on the first side. Before flipping the scallops add the butter to the pan, flip the scallops over, bring heat to low and baste the browned part of the scallops with the melted butter. Cook for an additional 30 seconds and remove from the pan to a paper towel lined plate.
- For the fennel: Cut the tops off of the fennel, then slice the bulb in half and remove the core. Slice bulb very thinly with a sharp knife or a mandolin. In a bowl mix sliced fennel with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and season with sea salt.
- To Plate: To serve, begin by dividing the Chorizo con Rajas and Mushrooms between 6 plate or pasta bowls. If mixture has become a little dry add 1 tablespoon of whole milk to loosen. Place three scallops on top of each plate. Finally, garnish with marinated fennel and a sprinkle minced chives or green onions.
