Herb And Sesame Scallops With Orange And Fennel Salad - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
6 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 head fennel, thinly sliced plus fronds
12 sea scallops
2 teaspoons salt, separated
2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper, separated
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, separated
1 navel orange, supremed
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

Preparation

On a flat dish, combine parsley, thyme, sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest, and only the fronds from fennel. This will be your seasoning for the scallops.
Make sure to pat dry the scallops, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Roll the sides (NOT the round-flat sides) of each scallop in the herb mix (like rolling a penny across the table), and set aside until pan is hot.
Heat up skillet (cast iron is best) and barely coat with olive oil. When skillet is nice and hot, sear flat sides of scallops for 2 minutes per side until opaque and slightly spongy, but not too firm. You want them to cut like soft butter with a fork.
Set scallops aside, keeping them warm with a foil-tent until salad is ready.
Time for salad -- Place sliced fennel in bottom of serving bowl and top with orange supremes.
Add remainder of the lemon zest and juice over the salad.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
Toss gently and place onto serving plates.
Place seared scallops on top, and serve immediately.