Scallops & Sweet Potato Mash with Sun-dried Tomato Relish
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.
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!