GRILLED SEA SCALLOPS WITH GREEN OLIVE RELISH
ONE OF the oddest things I have ever tasted is a handful of candied olives that I bought from a store in Shanghai. How olives ended up as candy in China is too long a story to relay here. But the idea of sweetening olives is something stalwart Europeans have taken to in the last few years. Olives and raisins, olives and figs, even olives cooked as marmalade are beginning to show up in gourmet shops and in recipes all over the region. So, taking my cue from this contemporary trend, I constructed a hot- and- sweet olive relish to accompany the fl avor of buttery grilled sea scallops.
- For the relish
- 2 cups pitted green olives
- 1 long, thin, hot, fresh chili pepper or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons finely diced orange zest
- 1⁄3 cup fresh orange juice
- 2⁄3 cup water
- 1⁄2 cup sugar
- 1⁄4 cup honey
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 small cinnamon stick, 11⁄2 to 2 inches long
- Salt to taste
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 16 large sea scallops
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable oil for brushing grill rack
- 4 (10- inch) metal skewers
Instructions:
- Make the relish: Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil and blanch the olives for 1 minute. Remove immediately and rinse in a colander under cold water. Drain and set aside. If using a fresh chili, blanch for 30 seconds in boiling water, remove, cool slightly, peel, and seed. If using flakes, ground lightly using a mortar and pestle.
- Bring another small pot of water to a rolling boil and blanch the orange zest. Remove after 1 minute. Rinse in a fine- mesh sieve under cold water.
- Drain and set aside. Coarsely chop the olives. Finely chop the chili.
- In a medium saucepan over high heat bring the orange juice, water, sugar, honey, cloves, and cinnamon to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until the liquid is reduced by about half. Add the olives and chili. Season lightly with salt. Add the vinegar. Continue simmering over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pulpy. Remove and set aside. (The relish may be kept in a clean jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil and blanch the scallops for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and cool. Season with salt and pepper. (You can prepare the scallops and the relish a day ahead and grill them to fi nish off the dish.)
- Heat the grill to hot. Oil the grill rack.
- Thread four scallops each onto the skewers. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place about 1⁄2 cup of the relish on each of four plates and serve the scallops over the relish or on the side.