Curried Scallop Salad with Mango Dressing
seeds from 2 cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
pinch of crushed red pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small, ripe mango, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 pound sea scallops
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cups packed arugula leaves
4 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup peeled and julienned jicama
In a small skillet, toast the cardamom, cumin and fennel seeds with the crushed red pepper over moderate heat until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a spice grinder and let cool. Grind to a powder.
In a small bowl, mix the ground spices with the olive oil, vinegar, shallot and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the mango.
Season the scallops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the scallops and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the seared scallops to a large plate.
In a large bowl, combine the arugula, tomatoes and jicama. Add half of the mango dressing and toss well. Mound the arugula salad on plates and arrange the seared scallops on top. Drizzle the scallops with the remaining mango dressing and serve at once.
Makes 4 servings.
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