Do you remember last time I fixed scallops? I wanted to sear my scallops in hazelnut oil except that there wasn’t any left in my pantry for me to cook with. Well, after going to the grocery store I was now ready to put an ending to that craving;-) and it was worth the wait…

Ingredients for 1 : 1 sweet potato, 2 oz of mascarpone, 1 tsp of brown sugar, hazelnut oil and salt and pepper to taste, 4 scallops, 1 tbsp of chopped hazelnut.

Utensils: Demarle 10″ frying pan, large round mold, octogonal silpat, polyamide spatula, Demarle paring knife, potato masher, measuring spoons.

Peel the sweet potato, cut it in cubes, and place in the round mold. Cover the round mold with the octogonal silpat and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes. Remove the round mold from the microwave, and place the soften sweet potato cubes in a large bowl. Puree the potato with a potato masher. Add 2oz of mascarpone, 1 tsp of hazelnut oil, 1 tbsp of brown sugar, 1 smidgen of nutmeg, 1 smidgen of pepper, 1 pinch of salt to the mashed potato and mix well. You may add more mascarpone if you wish to have creamier sweet potato puree.  Set aside.

In a frying pan, saute the chopped hazelnut to roast them over medium to high heat. season with salt and pepper by sprinkling a bit of each on the scallops. Remove the hazelnuts from the pan, and set them aside. In the same frying pan, warm up 1 tsp of hazelnut oil and saute the scallops for a few minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, place the scallops on the plate and spoon the sweet potato puree next to it. Add 1 tsp of hazelnut oil in the frying pan, and stir off the drippings. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle the drippings over the scallops and the puree. Sprinkle the roasted chopped hazelnut over it all.

Bon Appetit and Happy Cooking!!!