Friday Recipe: Spinach and Frisee Salad

Spinach & Frisée Salad with Tangerines & Coriander-Crusted Scallops

It's not quite summer fare, but this salad sounded so delicious when I searched for spring recipes I had to try it. It's from Eating Well, their March/April 2010 issue. I admit I had to look up coriander seeds and then was surprised that I knew them just not the name of them. Huh. All in all, it made a tasty salad that I would recommend for a (fairly) fast meal.

Photo is theirs.

Ingredients

Tangerine Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon tangerine or orange zest
• 2 tablespoons tangerine or orange juice
• 4 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped spring herbs, such as chervil, chives, tarragon and/or dill (I used tarragon which I had to buy but it was shopping week anyway.)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Salad

• 6 cups baby spinach
• 6 cups torn frisée
• 2 tangerines or oranges, segmented (see Tip)
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound dry sea scallops (see Note), patted dry
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

Preparation

1. To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk olive oil, tangerine (or orange) zest and juice, vinegar, shallot, herbs, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
2. To prepare salad: Combine spinach, frisée and tangerine (or orange) segments in a large salad bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates.
3. Coarsely grind or chop coriander seeds and combine with kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle on both sides of scallops. Heat canola oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the scallops and cook until they develop a golden brown crust and are just opaque all the way through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve the scallops on the salad.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: To segment a tangerine or orange: Remove peel and white pith, then slice off both ends. Use a sharp knife to cut the segments from the surrounding membranes.
• Ingredient Note: Be sure to buy “dry” sea scallops. “Wet” scallops, which have been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), are mushy and less flavorful. Some scallops will have a small white muscle on the side; remove it before cooking. 

Nutrition

Per serving: 251 calories; 12 g fat ( 1 g sat , 8 g mono ); 37 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 22 g protein; 5 g fiber; 518 mg sodium; 949 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (126% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv), Folate (55% dv), Magnesium (29% dv), Potassium (27% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat