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Awhile back I came across this scallops and pureed root vegetable recipe on The Kitchn looking for more seafood recipes to add to my repertoire and wondered if I could modify this recipe to meet my needs as well as tempt the vegetarian/pescetarian.
Dairy and I do not get along so I thought I could use coconut milk in place of sour cream. The vegetarian will eat some seafood, but I decided to cook the veggies in plain water since I have not mastered vegetable stock as of yet. I subbed parsley root for the celeriac, also known as celery root, as the store where I was shopping did not have celeriac.
I kicked the whole thing up a notch by making a gremolata with the parsley root tops while the veggies were simmering away. It added just a hint of sour that would have been missing without the sour cream. I think it worked well. The vegetarian ate the whole bowl and the root vegetable puree was just as good the next day.
The puree could serve 2-4 people so make enough scallops for the number of people you are serving. Mine were somewhat small so I made five scallops for each of us. You could even stretch the meal a little further with a nice salad as shown with the original recipe.
Scallops with Rutabaga and Parsley Root Puree
Ingredients
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cubed
3 parsley roots, each about the size of a medium carrot, peeled and cut into ½ inch coins
Reserved parsley root tops, about a cup or so
5 cloves of garlic, peeled and divided
1 teaspoon salt
Enough water to cover the vegetables
1 can of full fat coconut milk
Sea scallops
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Add the vegetables, four cloves of the garlic, and one teaspoon of salt to a saucepan and cover the vegetables with water. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until a knife can be inserted into the vegetables with ease.
In the meantime, make the gremolata. Chop the tops of the parsley root until nearly at a fine chop. Add one clove of minced garlic to the parsley root tops. Grate the zest of two lemons over top the parsley. Continue chopping the parsley root tops mixing the garlic and lemon zest in as you chop. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the water from the vegetables. Add the can of coconut milk to the pan with the vegetables and puree with an immersion blender, like this beauty that just arrived. Or dump everything into a blender and whizz away until smooth. Adjust the seasoning with a little salt and pepper, if needed.
Once the gremolata and the puree is done, prepare the scallops for pan frying. Pat them very dry with a paper towel and salt and pepper one side of the scallops. Have everything ready before you start cooking the scallops as they cook fast. They will get rubbery if overcooked. Get your plates or bowls out. Pour your drinks. Be ready to sit down and eat as soon as the scallops are cooked.
Add some olive oil to a pan heated to medium. Place the scallops seasoned side down in the hot pan. Sprinkle the unseasoned side with salt and pepper. Allow them to cook for two minutes or so before turning. They should lift easily from the pan. If not, give them a few extra seconds. Cook for an additional two minutes after turning.
Serve the scallops on top of the rutabaga and parsley root puree and top with a bit of the gremolata. I chose to top with just a sprinkle of the gremolata. You could place a bowl of it on the table for your guests to add more if they choose.
Note: The gremolata can also be used to top steak or chicken.
