Seared Scallops with a Mango Balsamic Salsa
Our original recipe for this dish calls for using our Harissa red chili olive oil. It’s spicy! While some like it hot, we decided to offer an alternative to those of us with a tender palate: use our Persian lime olive oil instead!
Harissa oil gives this dish a subtle yet impactful heat, white the Persian lime plays nicely with the rest of the salsa ingredients, simply enhancing the tropical factor.
Dry-packed scallops make for a better searing surface so the scallops get a nice toasted color.
Kent mangos are in season now (May/June) and are absolutely fantastic, so they’d be the best to select for this salsa.
This dish packs a sweet heat made from a combination of our spicy red chili oil and our mango white balsamic — a combination inspired by the mango con chili treat. This would also work with shrimp or prawns. Serves 4.
Seared Scallops with a Mango Balsamic Salsa
Ingredients
- 1 large tomato diced (about 3/4 cup diced)
- Half an onion diced
- Half a jalapeño seeded and diced
- 1 Tbsp Sigona’s red chili Harissa olive oil (it's spicy!) or Persian lime olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 8 large dry-packed sea scallops
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 Tbsp Sigona’s mango white balsamic
- 1 large mango such as a Kents or Keitts, peeled and diced (at least 1 cup)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Stir together the tomatoes, onion and jalapeño in a bowl. Set aside.
- Rinse and pat dry the scallops. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Add the harissa oil and butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has melted and the combination is just starting to smoke, add the scallops, being careful that they don’t touch. Cook for just 1 minute 30 seconds each side, flipping once. Scallops should have a nice golden-brown sear that is about 1/4 inch deep on each side, and the middle should still be slightly translucent. Use tongs to transfer just the scallops to a plate; set aside, keeping warm.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the balsamic to the skillet to deglaze. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the balsamic reduces. After 2 minutes, add the tomato and onion mixture; cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in the mango and cilantro.
- Serve the scallops with the mango salsa, either on the side or spooned over the top.
