Minnie / January 18, 2013

Pomegranate Glazed Scallops

I’ve recently been turned onto pomegranates! I love the seeds in my greek yogurts. The little gems/kernels just pop in your mouth and burst with flavor! The reason why I didn’t eat them all this time is because it is extremely difficult to get all the seeds out! Until a little trick I found via YouTube…

I decided to use the pomegranate in a scallop dish to add a sweetness to the savory seafood dish. Scallops are so delicious, and I often just eat them seared with a little extra virgin olive oil. This time I wanted something a little different.

I use fresh pomegranate in this recipe, but you can also use store bought pom juice if you like. I actually prefer the fresh because I wanted the actual seeds left in for a bit of a crunch. Might be weird, but I think that’s what I enjoy the most about pomegranate seeds. it’s almost like a nut rather than a seed in the middle! If you don’t like this you can always strain it too.

For this recipe you will need:

-1/2 fresh pomegranate, juiced (makes about 1/2 cup)
-2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
-1/2 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
-4-6 ounces of scallops
-1 cup of chopped spinach (I used a frozen bag because I didn’t have fresh)

Grab your pomegranate

And cut it in half! See these little gems? This isn’t it, there are many more deep inside and we need to get them out!

They say bang the back of it with a wooden spoon, but this doesn’t work and juice squirts everywhere! So get a bowl of water, submerge the half of the pomegranate, and break up the membrane. It breaks very easily!

You don't have to submerge it for any amount of time, just dunk and break — You don’t have to submerge it for any amount of time, just dunk and break

Take your hands and rub all the kernels out. They will quickly release! So easy

Rinse them off and get rid of the excess membrane

Now add these to a food processor to get a juice! Blend until almost all chunks are gone (seeds will still be there unless you strain)

And then add this to a small pan on high heat

Start stirring and add the balsamic vinegar

Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir

Next, get another pan and cook your scallops. Add the olive oil to the pan and sear on high heat.

You are going to cook approximately 3-4 minutes on each side until there is a beautiful golden brown crisp on the outside. It’s very easy to overcook scallops. You want the middle nice and soft, not chewy!