'Zaytinya' Seared Scallops with Tzatziki

Adapted from Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Turkey and Lebanon by José Andrés.

The idea of this recipe is to spread some tzatziki on each plate, sear the scallops, lay them on the tzatziki, then scatter garnishes over. It’s ideal for entertaining: You can make the tzatziki and spice mix, and shave the radishes in advance, and then just sear the scallops right before serving. The tzatziki uses garlic confit rather than the more traditional raw garlic; it gives it a soft and lovely flavor. You can let the confit simmer while the tzatziki’s cucumbers are resting with salt.

READ: Eastern Mediterranean mezze get the José Andrés treatment in his wonderful new ‘Zaytinya’ cookbook

Be sure to choose dry-pack scallops (also known as dry scallops). These are scallops in their natural state. Unlike “wet” scallops, they have not been soaked in a sodium tripolyphosphate bath. Wet scallops will not sear; they’ll just get rubbery. (If you’re unsure what you’re looking at while at the fish counter, those that have been treated are usually very white. You want the ones that are fresh-looking and fleshy, with some color variation.) Best is to shop at a fishmonger that does not sell chemically treated fish, such as Whole Foods.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

For the Sumac Rose Spice

1 tablespoon pink peppercorns

2 tablespoons dried rose petals (available in Middle Eastern markets or online)

1 1/2 tablespoons sumac

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground cumin

1 teaspoon Urfa or Aleppo pepper

1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

For the Tatziki

3/4 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced

3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

1 1/2 cloves confit garlic (see recipe below)

4 ounces / 1/2 cup / 114 g Greek yogurt

4 ounces / 1/2 cup / 114 g labneh

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon minced fresh mint

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspooon minced fresh dill

Freshly ground white pepper to taste

For putting it all together

1 or two small red radishes

1 recipe Tzatziki

3 tablespoons canola oil

Salt

16 sea scallops (about 1 pound)

Sumac Rose Spice

Parsley leaves and dill leaves for garnish

Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Instructions

1. To make the Sumac Rose Spice, grind the pink peppercorns in a mortar, spice grinder or minichop until finely ground. Add the rose petals and crush them lightly (if using mortar and pestle) or pulse them into small pieces. Put the mixture in a small bowl (or leave them in the mortar) and add the sumac, cumin, Urfa or Aleppo pepper and sesame seeds; stir to combine. Set aside.

2. To make the Tzatziki, season the cucumber with the 3/4 teaspoon of salt and let it sit for 1 hour. Wring out the cucumbers in a clean dish towel to remove the excess liquid. Put the Confit Garlic in a small bowl and smash with a fork. Whisk in the yogurt and labneh, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuing to whisk. Fold in the cucumbers and herbs, then season to taste with salt and white pepper. Set aside.

3. Slice the radish as thinly as you can, and drop the slices in a bowl of ice water.

4. When you’re nearly ready to eat, divide the tzatziki evenly in four and spread it on each of four plates.

5. Line a plate with paper towels. Warm the canola oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Gently dry the scallops with a paper towel, and season with salt. Add the scallops to the hot pan and sear on the first side till dark golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip them as they’re browned and sear the same way on the second side. Transfer them to the lined plate to drain as they’re done.

6. Divide the scallops among the four plates, setting them atop the tzatziki. Sprinkle generously with Sumac Rose Spice, garnish with radish slices, parsley and dill, then drizzle with olive oil and season with flaky salt.

To make the Garlic Confit:

Peel 6 garlic cloves (or more or less, depending on how many you want; our recipe only requires 1). Put them in the smallest saucepan you have and cover them with olive oil. Warm them slowly over medium heat, until the oil just begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer very barely until the garlic is very soft and lightly browned, about 30 to 40 minutes. Strain out the garlic, and keep the now-flavored oil refrigerated in a tightly covered jar for other uses.