slotmom
Posts: 1206
Joined: Feb 04, 2005 9:12 pm
Posted: May 31, 2008 8:36 pm
Veracruz Scallops with Cool Green Chile Sauce
Yields: 4-6 servings
Sauce
3 long Anaheim chile peppers
3 scallions, root ends discarded, all the rest roughly chopped
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 small garlic clove
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 teas. kosher salt
Rub
1 teas. pure chile powder
1 teas. paprika
1 teas. kosher salt
1/2 teas. ground cumin
1/2 teas. dried oregano
1/4 teas. freshly ground black pepper
24 large scallops, about 1? ounces each
Vegetable oil
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
Brush the cooking grate clean. Grill the chile peppers over direct high heat, with the lid open, until they are blackened and blistered in spots all over, 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the chiles from the grill. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the stem ends. Using a sharp knife, scrape off and discard nearly all the blackened skins. Roughly chop the remaining parts of the chiles and drop them into a food processor or blender. Add the scallions, cilantro, and garlic. Process to make a coarse paste, scraping down the sides once or twice. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and process for a minute or two to create a smooth sauce. If it seems too thick, add a little water and adjust the seasonings. In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients. Rinse the scallops under cold water and remove the small, tough muscle that might be left on each one. Place the scallops in a large bowl and add enough oil to lightly coat them. Add the rub, lime zest, and lime juice. Mix well to coat the scallops evenly. At this point, to grill the scallops, you will need to add more charcoal to the fire for high heat. Make sure the bed of charcoal spreads wide enough so that you can grill all 24 scallops over direct heat. When the fire is ready, brush the cooking grate clean. Lay the scallops in orderly rows and grill over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until slightly firm on the surface and opaque in the center, 4 to 6 minutes, turning once (check one by cutting it open). If you have a nice, even fire, keep the scallops in their original order. If not, you may need to swap their positions for even cooking. Remove them from the grill and serve warm with the sauce.