Pan seared diver scallops with seasonal vegetables and crispy sweet potatoes recipe

Ingredients

• 10–14 basil leaves, fresh
• 2 cups olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 bunch fresh parsley (only curly top part)

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and/or green onion
• 2 pounds red potatoes, quartered

• 1 cup shredded sweet potatoes (matchstick size is best)
• Oil, for frying (you want to have about 2" of oil in the pan, or use deep fryer if possible)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ tablespoon honey
• Pinch of ground cumin

For Basil Oil
1. In a blender (Vitamix works best) or using an immersion blender, combine all ingredients and blend on medium-high for 2 minutes until puréed. Oil may look cloudy but will settle over time. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Allow to come to room temperature before using.
For Simple Garlic Mashed Potatoes
2. In a small pot over medium heat, heat up cream, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and butter. Once bubbling gently, turn off heat and add parsley and/or green onion. Fill a large pot with cold, salted water and add quartered potatoes. Boil until fork-tender; then drain. Put back in cooking vessel and pour cream-garlic mixture on top. Mash with either a fork or potato masher until just combined. Overmashing will tend to produce “sticky” mashed potatoes instead of fluffy and nice ones. Leave some chunks in the mix and check seasoning. Keep warm on stovetop or in oven.
For Crispy Sweet Potatoes
3. Shred sweet potatoes using a mandoline slicer (can buy a cheap one at an Asian grocery store) and soak in water for 30 minutes. Add 2" of oil to deep pot and heat to 350°F. Fry in batches, until crispy, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as they come out of fryer; then drizzle with honey and top with a pinch of ground cumin. Set aside.
For Vegetables
4. Julienne vegetables and sauté uncovered in a sauté pan with olive oil or butter for approximately 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are just wilted, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
For Scallops
5. Heat an aluminum sauté pan over high heat; then drizzle vegetable oil/olive oil blend into the pan. Season scallops very lightly with salt and pepper to taste (they have natural salt content). Lay scallops in pan (you should hear sizzling) and cook approximately 2 minutes, until caramelized. Then flip over, cook for another 2 minutes or so, turn off heat, and begin plating. This will give you a nice “medium” doneness. Great scallops like these should not be overcooked!
To Complete
6. Plate your Simple Garlic Mashed Potatoes in a line down the middle of the plate, topping with the seared Scallops. Add two mounds of sautéed Vegetables and top Scallops with the Crispy Sweet Potatoes. Drizzle Basil Oil around outside of plate, in a circular fashion, to finish the presentation.