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Scallop Sundae | CaliGirl Cooking
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Scallop Sundae

Delicious, mouthwatering, curry-crusted scallops served on top of a medley of mashed potatoes and finished with a delicious elderflower-grape-white wine sauce.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 servings

Ingredients

To make the cinnamon-whipped sweet potatoes:

  • 1 large sweet potato peeled and quartered
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Salt & pepper

To make the garlic mashed potatoes:

  • 1 large baking potato peeled and quartered
  • 1 large clove of garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Salt & pepper

To make the scallops:

  • 6-8 jumbo sea scallops fresh is best
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper

To make the elderflower-grape-white wine sauce:

  • ½ cup elderflower liqueur such as St. Germain
  • ½ cup green grapes sliced and quartered
  • ½ cup sparkling wine
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Additional ingredients:

  • 1-2 tablespoons butter
  • 1-2 tablespoons canola oil

Instructions

  • Begin by boiling both types of potatoes. Since you’re only using one of each type, you can certainly use the same saucepan. Place potatoes in saucepan and fill with water so that there’s ½ - 1 inch above the potatoes themselves. Place on a burner over high heat. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down (but still simmering) and cook potatoes until you can easily stab a fork through them. Once potatoes are done, strain them and separate the sweet potato from the baking potato into two separate bowls.
  • In the bowl with the sweet potato, add the cinnamon, butter and milk. Mash by hand or using a hand mixer until all ingredients are combined. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.
  • In the bowl with the baking potato, add the garlic, butter and milk. Follow the same process as above.
  • Begin cooking the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the elderflower liqueur, grapes and sparkling wine. Do not add the butter yet. If sauce begins bubbling too much, lower the heat. You want the sauce at a constant gentle simmer.
  • Prep the scallops: Combine curry powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place scallops on a plate and coat them in the curry mixture, covering all sides.
  • Add 1-2 tablespoons butter and 1-2 tablespoons canola oil (these are your “additional ingredients”) to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Heat pan until it sizzles when you splash some water on it. This means it’s hot enough to give the scallops a good sear. Carefully add scallops to the hot pan, being sure not to overcrowd. If you need to, sear the scallops in two batches.
  • Sear the scallops on the first side for 3-5 minutes, or until they are opaque about two-thirds of the way up. Flip over for 2-3 minutes to finish cooking. It’s important that you do not overcook the scallops. They will continue to cook for a bit after you remove them from the heat, so keep that in mind.
  • Finish off the sauce by adding the two tablespoons of butter. Stir to melt and incorporate.
  • Now it’s time to plate! Start with a base of the cinnamon whipped sweet potatoes. You can either just plop a scoop onto the plate, or use one of these culinary rings if you want to be fancy. Top the cinnamon whipped sweet potatoes with the garlic mashed potatoes. Top with 3-4 scallops, then drizzle the sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Notes

Wine Pairing Note: Because there is sparkling wine in the sauce, some of the same would be the perfect pairing for this dish. It would also be great with a Chardonnay that has a perfect balance of acidity and creaminess.