Scallops with Fava Bean Puree
The secret to the nice searing on the scallops is a big and hot pan to cook them in. Be sure to buy dry scallops, not water injected ones which will never brown.
Serves 4

Ingredients
- 5 pounds fava beans (equals 2 1/2 cups approximately, when shelled)
- 2 tablespoons Filippo Berio extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 pound large dry sea scallops, well dried with paper towels
- 1 teaspoon hot red pepper paste or red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Zest and juice of two large Meyer lemons plus lemon wedges for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
- Lemon wedges for garnish
- Ingredients
Directions
- Shell the fava beans and cook them in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain, cool and slip off outer skin. Set beans aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and cook the garlic until it softens. Stir in the fava beans and hot pepper paste and cook 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer all but 1/2 cup of the beans to a food processor and puree into a smooth sauce. This the mixture with a bit of broth or stock if desired. Transfer to a small saucepan and keep warm. Save the remaining beans as garnish on the platter.
- In the same sauté pan melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over high heat.
- Salt and pepper the scallops and sear them on both sides. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, lemon juice, zest and tarragon and toss the scallops. Add salt to taste.
- Spread the fava puree on a platter and top with the scallops and garnish with lemon wedges. Sprinkle the remaining fava beans around the platter.
- Or single plate the scallops and fava bean puree and whole beans.
This recipe was featured on Season 23 - Episode 2306.
Comments
Ann
Nice to here about your traditional recipes in a book. Mario Batali’s comment is special. My grandmother was from Bisceglia, near Bari. Your cooking reminds of her. She went to a cooking school in Italy in the early 1900’s, would you know any culinary schools in the southern area of Italy back then. She was a fine cook with a light hand.