Sea Scallop with Vegetable Ragout

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion halved, thickly sliced crosswise
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 24 2-inch-long asparagus tips
  • 4 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed
  • 6 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1/3 cup canned vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 heart of romaine lettuce, sliced crosswise into 1-inch strips
  • 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 20 sea scallops
  • 4 lemon wedges

Instructions

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and saute until beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium-high; add asparagus tips, sugar snap peas and thyme sprigs and saute 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add vegetable broth and lemon juice, then lettuce and peas. Cover and cook until lettuce is wilted, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes. Whisk 1 tablespoon butter into ragout. Remove pot from heat. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add scallops to skillet and sear until brown and just opaque in center, about 2 minutes per side. Divide ragout among 4 bowls. Top with scallops, dividing equally. Garnish each with 1 lemon wedge.

Serves 4