Seared Scallops With Tarragon-scallion Sauce

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh sea scallop, dry (many are wet-packed and thus difficult to sear)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• sea salt or kosher salt
• 1/2 lb scallion, about one bunch
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other neutral oil, most likely will use less)
• 2 tablespoons creme fraiche (sour cream good substitute)
• fresh chives (to garnish)

Recipe

• 1 separate the scallops on a large plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• 2 dice scallion bulbs and chop the green tops, discarding the tips.
• 3 melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. add scallion bulbs and a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to low, and cook 20-25 minutes, until very soft. add the green tops, toss through, and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until soft but still bright green.
• 4 sprinkle the flour over and cook for a minute or two. add the milk, raising the heat to medium, and cook briefly until thickened.
• 5 add the tarragon leaves and stir through, then turn off the heat and pour the mixture into a blender. puree until very smooth, then return to the pan over low heat, cooking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• 6 pour a thin film of oil in the bottom of a sautã© pan and warm over medium-high heat until shimmering. add the scallops a few at a time - do not crowd pan or they will not sear properly. sear just until nicely browned and caramelized, a minute or two, and turn to sear other side. they will release from the pan easily once they�re ready, and should still be soft in the middle, as they will continue to cook off the heat. set aside and keep warm.
• 7 taste the sauce and adjust salt if necessary. whisk in the crã¨me fraiche off the heat until smooth, then spoon a little of the sauce into the serving dishes. top with scallops and garnish with fresh chives.