It’s rare that I put up fully composed dinners, but this Scallops & Sweet Potato Mash with Sun-dried Tomato Relish just feels right. This recipe is inspired by Carina Wolff’s seared scallops over sweet potato pureé, and I only hope this addition of roasted garlic and a sun-dried tomato relish can do them justice!
As a pescatarian, scallops are always a go-to when I want a quick but classic dinner. These subtly sweet scallops perfectly compliment an earthy, spicy sun-dried tomato relish and the sweet potato meshes with roasted garlic to make an easy and comforting base for this recipe to come together.
Table of contents
Ingredients for the sun-dried tomato relish
This relish is the star of the show! Its zesty acidity perfectly compliments the smooth sweet potatoes and rich scallops. It adds a desperately needed oomph to what would otherwise be a very texturally boring dish. Here’s how to make this addicting sun-dried tomato relish:
- 1 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
- 1 tablespoon calabrian chili paste
- 1 lemon for zest and juice
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper to taste
How to make the seared scallops and sweet potatoes
Scallops and sweet potatoes are two of my favorite things in the world, so it only feels right to pair them in one warm, comforting meal. The sweet potatoes give a great base for the scallops to sit on so that in every bite, you get a bit of scallop, sweet potato and relish. Follow these steps to make the scallops and sweet potato mash:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Cut the top off the full garlic clove. Drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap in tin foil.
- Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Wrap in tin foil. Roast both the sweet potatoes and garlic for 45-50 minutes, or until the garlic is golden and soft and the potatoes are fork tender.
- While the potatoes are roasting, make the sun-dried tomato relish. On a cutting board, finely chop the parsley. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, calabrian chili paste and lemon zest and chop until fine. Top with the juice from the lemon, the honey, and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix together with a fork, move to a small bowl and set aside.
- Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper.
- Put a pan on medium heat and add a generous glug of olive oil. Sear the scallops for two minutes on each side or until they are lightly golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- When the potatoes and garlic are out of the oven, remove the potato skins and add the potatoes to a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the bowl and mash everything together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To plate, add the mashed sweet potatoes to the plate first, then the scallops, then top with the sun-dried tomato relish. For extra texture, feel free to top with toasted walnuts or seeds!
Some more of my favorite dinner recipes
All of which are just as comforting as they are filling!
And that’s everything for this Scallops & Sweet Potato Mash with Sun-dried Tomato Relish!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Scallops & Sweet Potato Mash with Sun-dried Tomato Relish
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes about 12 ounces each
- 1 large head of garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more as needed
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
- 1 tablespoon calabrian chili paste
- 1 lemon for zest and juice
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces fresh scallops about 6-8 scallops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Cut the top off the full garlic clove. Drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap in tin foil.
- Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Wrap in tin foil. Roast both the sweet potatoes and garlic for 45-50 minutes, or until the garlic is golden and soft and the potatoes are fork tender.
- While the potatoes are roasting, make the sun-dried tomato relish. On a cutting board, finely chop the parsley. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, calabrian chili paste and lemon zest and chop until fine. Top with the juice from the lemon, the honey, and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix together with a fork, move to a small bowl and set aside.
- Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper.
- Put a pan on medium heat and add a generous glug of olive oil. Sear the scallops for two minutes on each side or until they are lightly golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- When the potatoes and garlic are out of the oven, remove the potato skins and add the potatoes to a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the bowl and mash everything together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To plate, add the mashed sweet potatoes to the plate first, then the scallops, then top with the sun-dried tomato relish. For extra texture, feel free to top with toasted walnuts or seeds!
