Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Carrots and Cumin puree, Saffron Oil, Black Trumpet Mushrooms and Orange Zest

Carrots Puree

1 lb carrots

1 tsp ground cumin

2 T olive oil blend

Peel and cut carrots into 1 cm rounds.  Toss carrots together with cumin and olive.  Wrap the entire mixture together tightly in foil.  Roast in the oven for 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender.

Blend in a blender until smooth.

That's it!  Set it aside.

Saffron Oil

2 oz olive oil blend

2 oz EVOO

1 large pinch of saffron

2 tsp hot water

In a small jar, crush the saffron threads with a back of a spoon.  You should end up with about 1 tsp of crushed saffron.  Stir n 2 tsp of hot water and let it sit for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup each grape seed oil and EVOO over low hear until hot.  Pour the contents of the saucepan over the saffron in the jar.  Cover and sake the jar vigorously.  Set aside to infuse for at least 24 hours before using.

Pan Frying Scallops

Heat the cast iron skillet until it is very hot (almost smoking).  Add oil and add scallops.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes until browned on one side.  Flip the scallops over.  Turn off heat.  Add about 1-2 tsp butter and baste the scallops once the butter has melted.

Sauteed Mushrooms

Sautee your favorite mushrooms with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Plating

Of course how you do this is entirely up to you, but I thought it was cool to see how they did it.  Smear on some puree, put scallops on top, then the mushrooms, and finally finish with some saffron oil and orange zest.  Beautiful!