Recipe courtesy of Chef Jamil Pineda, Michael’s on East.
Pan-Seared Jumbo Diver Scallops with Housemade Gnocchi, Lobster & Sage Brown Butter
For the Roasted Butternut Squash
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and diced
2 Tablespoons Blended Oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss squash in a bowl with the oil, salt and
pepper. Place on roasting pan and roast until soft, approximately eight
minutes. Cool and reserve.
For the Gnocchi
1 ½ lbs Russet Potatoes
1 Cup Flour
1 Egg
Pinch Salt
¼ Cup Canola
Boil the whole potatoes until they are soft, about 45 minutes. While still
warm, peel and pass through vegetable mill onto clean pasta board.
Boil three quarts of water in a large spaghetti pot. In a mixing bowl, add
three cups of ice and three cups of cold water.
Sprinkle the potatoes with the flour, using all the flour and form a mound
with a depressed center. Place egg and salt in center of well and using a fork,
stir into flour and potatoes, just like making normal pasta.
Once egg is mixed in, bring dough together, kneading gently until a ball is
formed. Knead gently for an additional four minutes until the ball is dry to
touch.
Break into pieces and roll baseball-sized balls of dough into 3/4-inch
diameter dowels and cut dowels into 1-inch long pieces. Flick pieces off
of fork until dowel is finished. Drop these pieces into boiling water and
cook until they float, approximately one minute. Meanwhile, continue with
remaining dough, forming dowels, cutting into 1-inch pieces and flicking off
of fork.
As gnocchi float to top of boiling water, remove them to ice bath. Continue
until all have been cooled off. Let sit several minutes in bath and drain from
ice and water. Toss with 1/2 cup canola oil.
For the Scallops
3 u-10 Dry Diver Sea Scallops
1 oz Blended Oil
2 Tablespoon Roasted Butternut Squash
½ Steamed or Cooked Lobster Tail and 1 Claw, tail chopped into 3 pieces
4 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Tablespoon Shallots, diced
1 Crumbled Amaretti Cookie
½ Tablespoon Fresh Sage, chiffonade
½ Cup Gnocchi
Micro Greens to Garnish
In a sauté pan over medium high heat, sear scallops until golden brown,
approximately two minutes. Flip the scallops and continue cooking until just
translucent throughout.
Boil water in a saucepan; drop gnocchi into boiling water and boil for 15
seconds. Strain and set aside.
In a second sauté pan, heat the butter until it begins to brown, add shallots,
roasted squash, and then sage. Stir in gnocchi to sauté pan, add steamed
lobster and toss in pan to heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To Plate
Place gnocchi and lobster mixture in center of plate, arrange three scallops in
a triangle around the gnocchi, sprinkle on the crumbled amaretti and garnish
with micro greens.
