Korean BBQ Scallops with Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, Oven Roasted Green Beans, and Sweet Chili Cream

Not long ago I had this meal at a restaurant and was so impressed that I recreated it at home. I purchased the Korean BBQ Sauce, but if you wanted you could make your own. The aroma while everything is cooking will have your mouth watering, and the amazing seasonings are like a flavor explosion in your mouth! Next time we have guests I will enjoy sharing this meal with them.

General Instructions:

Make the sweet chili cream sauce and set aside in the refrigerator (remove from fridge about ½ hour before serving). Get the potatoes ready and cook to make the mashed potatoes. Next prepare the green beans and put in the oven. The last step will be the pan seared scallops.

Sweet Chili Cream Sauce – from https://petersfoodadventures.com

This creamy sweet chili sauce recipe is extremely easy to make. A great seafood sauce, salad dressing, fry sauce or dip.

1 cup mayo

½ cup sweet chili

Juice of a lime

Small handful cilantro finely chopped

1. Using a whisk, combine ingredients together. Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Green Beans - From Erica Walker at https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com

If you don’t have fresh green beans on hand, it’s fine to use frozen. Rinse off any excess ice and dry the beans with a paper towel to remove moisture. Then, follow the recipe as written.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total: 30 minutes

Serves: 6 servings

2 pounds fresh green beans (if using frozen, see notes above)

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic finely minced

Kosher salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Sesame Seeds (Optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425-degrees.
2. Trim green beans if necessary. Pat green beans completely dry with paper towels.
3. Place green beans in a large bowl and toss with olive oil and garlic until evenly coated. If desired add sesame seeds.
4. Place green beans on a baking sheet and spread out so the green beans aren't touching each other if possible. You can divide them between two baking sheets if needed.
5. Sprinkle beans with salt and pepper and place in the oven.
6. Roast for 15-20 minutes or until beans start to look toasted and brown spots start to form.

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

2 pounds medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks

1/3 to 1/2 cup milk

¼ cup butter or margarine, softened

½ teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

Wasabi Seasoning

This mashed potato recipe is from bettycrocker.com. These potatoes turn out thick, creamy and smooth. You do want fresh potatoes for best results.

The best way to cook potatoes for mashing is to cut them up into bite-sized chunks and place them in a pot of cool water straight from the tap. When the water and the potatoes both come up in temperature at the same time, your potatoes will cook more evenly, adding to a good, overall texture.

The most important tip for the best mashed potatoes is to keep all of your ingredients warm while you are doing this. Heat up your milk and soften your butter on either the stove top or in the microwave before adding to the mix. Remember to add the milk slowly until you get the smooth, creamy texture that you want.

1. Place potatoes in 2-quart saucepan; and enough water just to cover potatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender (keep an eye on them so they do not get too soft); drain. Shake pan with potatoes over low heat to dry (this will help mashed potatoes be fluffier).
2. Mash potatoes in pan until no lumps remain. Add milk in small amounts, mashing after each addition (amount of milk needed to make potatoes smooth and fluffy depends on kind of potatoes used).
3. Add butter, salt and pepper. Mash vigorously until potatoes are light and fluffy. Add Wasabi seasoning to taste.

Pan Seared Scallops – from https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/seared-scallops-recipe-1916984

1 to 1-1/4 pounds dry sea scallops, approximately 16

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
2. Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch sauté pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.

To serve: place wasabi mashed potatoes in center of plate and top with oven roasted green beans. Place pan seared scallops around mashed potatoes and drizzle with sweet chili cream. Top beans and potatoes with Korean BBQ sauce. Enjoy!!