Scallops with Lemon Truffle Butter & Fresh Spring Vegetables

This dish may sound super fancy, but all ingredients were found today at Trader Joe’s and the Union Square Farmer’s market! The scallops and mini cauliflower can be commonly found, but the broccoli rabe flowers are the unsung hero of this dish. They not only look beautiful (bright yellow and green) but taste amazing both cooked and uncooked. If you come across these, I highly recommend giving them a shot!  

INGREDIENTS Yields 2 Servings
Lemon Truffle Butter
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp white truffle oil
Zest of ½ lemon
Pinch of salt
Scallops
18 Medium Sized Scallops (1 pkg Trader Joe’s)
1 tbsp lemon truffle butter
Mini Cauliflower
12 oz mini cauliflower (1 pkg Trader Joe’s)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
Zest of ½ lemon
Fresh ground sea salt & pepper
Broccoli Rabe Flowers
6 oz broccoli rabe flowers (save some to side for garnish!)
1 tsp of lemon truffle butter
Fresh ground sea salt & pepper

ROAST THE CAULIFLOWER
Preheat oven to 400°. Trim mini cauliflower at the stem. Zest half of a lemon rind and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Sprinkle the lemon zest and garlic on top of the cauliflower, and mix with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Place on a baking sheet in the oven at 400° for 30 minutes.

MIX THE LEMON TRUFFLE BUTTER
Bring 4 tbsp of unsalted butter to room temperature in a small bowl. Zest ½ of a lemon rind into the bowl. Add 1 tsp white truffle oil and a pinch of salt, then mix together.

SEAR THE SCALLOPS
Bring a pan to high heat and drop in 1 tbsp lemon truffle butter, making sure to evenly coat the pan with the butter. Sear the scallops for 3 minutes on one side – flip and sear the other side for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt & pepper, and remove from the pan. Do not clean the pan yet!

COOK THE BROCCOLI RABE FLOWERS
Keep the pan at medium heat, and drop in the broccoli rabe flowers. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stems turn bright green. If you run out of butter, supplement with olive oil.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Add all ingredients to the plate. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp of lemon truffle butter for 10 seconds in the microwave, and drizzle on top of the scallops. Garnish the plate with remaining uncooked broccoli rabe flowers.