Scallops with miso, ginger and grapefruit

Scallops with miso, ginger, and grapefruit

Photograph by Angela Wyant

SERVES 2
TIME About 40 minutes

Ingredients
1 Ruby grapefruit (1 lb.), cut in half
1 tbsp. each white miso paste, rice vinegar, and sake
2 tbsp. each butter, minced shallots, and minced fresh ginger
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. each chopped fresh thyme leaves and chopped fresh oregano leaves
8 oz. sea scallops (1 in. thick), rinsed and patted dry
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. thinly sliced fresh chives

Directions
1. Squeeze juice from half the grapefruit and reserve. With a small, sharp knife, cut peel from second half, down to flesh, then cut between inner membranes to release half-segments into a small bowl.

2. In a blender, whirl grapefruit juice, miso, rice vinegar, and sake until smooth.

3. In a 1- to 2-qt. pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add shallots and ginger and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until shallots are limp, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in miso mixture and stir until sauce is bubbling and slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. On a plate, mix flour, thyme, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Coat scallops in mixture.

5. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-in. nonstick frying pan over high heat and tilt pan to coat. When hot, set scallops in pan, spacing evenly. Cook, turning each scallop once with tongs, until golden brown on both sides and opaque but still moist looking in the center (cut to test), about 4 minutes total. Transfer to a serving plate.

6. Pour miso mixture into frying pan and stir, scraping bottom of pan to release browned bits, until bubbling, about 1 minute. Pour sauce around scallops and top with reserved grapefruit segments and the chives.

PER SERVING 409 cal., 59% (243 cal.) from fat; 22 g protein; 27 g fat (9.3 g sat.); 20 g carbo (1.3 g fiber); 616 mg sodium; 68 mg chol.

Serve with Lander-Jenkins "Spirit Hawk" Chardonnay 2008 (California)