Recipes Seared Scallops with Beet Salad and Horseradish Cream 4.0 (5,216) Add your rating & review Borscht is the inspiration for the vibrant beet accompaniment to these seared jumbo scallops. After roasting the vegetables, Shea Gallante coarsely chops them, mixes them with a raspberry vinaigrette and then tops them with a terrific warm horseradish cream. "I used to hate beets, but now I like them, especially roasted and served with horseradish," he says. Slideshow: More Scallop Recipes By Shea Gallante Shea Gallante Why Because his unstoppable spirit of experimentation—and his kitchen full of cutting-edge equipment—leads him to create wonderful avant-garde dishes, like a creamy chilled mozzarella soup with basil and apricots. Born Poughkeepsie, NY; 1973. Education The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY. Experience Coco Pazzo Teatro, Felidia and Bouley, all in New York City. First big risk Opening a pizza parlor when he was only 19. "I’d been working at a pizzeria, and decided I wanted to be the boss." Most exotic item on his menu Wild yellowtail crudo. "Almost all yellowtail is farm-raised, even the fish that comes in from Japan. The wild yellowtail I get has flavor that’s off the charts. You can’t imagine how good it tastes." Most memorable experience Going to Paris to cook dinner at the George V with David Bouley. "I looked outside in the courtyard and there was Bill Clinton. With David, you’re always on the move; I was there for three days and slept six hours total." Favorite cheap meal Pork and swiss chard dumplings from Tasty Dumpling in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Advice to future cooks Don’t get wrapped up in the industry hype. "Don’t just study a trendy cuisine; when it crashes, you’re sunk." Won Best New Chef at: Cru; New York City Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 13, 2015 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Christina Holmes Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 40 mins Yield: 4 1-course servings Ingredients 1 pound large unpeeled beets, cut into 1-inch wedges Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar 1 small shallot, minced 1 tablespoon drained prepared horseradish 1/2 cup crème fraîche 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 12 jumbo scallops (about 1 pound) Directions Preheat the oven to 375°. Put the beet wedges in a medium baking dish, season with salt and pepper and add the water. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the beets are tender. Let cool slightly. Peel the roasted beets and transfer to a food processor. Pulse several times, just until coarsely chopped. Transfer the chopped beets to a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the raspberry vinegar and a pinch each of salt and pepper. In a small skillet, combine the minced shallot with the horseradish, crème fraîche and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until the crème fraîche is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Keep the sauce warm over low heat. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until nearly smoking. Using a paring knife, score a shallow crosshatch pattern into one side of each scallop. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and add them to the skillet, scored side down. Cook over high heat until the bottom is browned, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until the scallops are lightly browned on the second side, and just cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes; don't let the scallops become opaque. Spoon the roasted beet salad onto plates and top with the seared scallops. Drizzle the warm horseradish cream all around and serve right away. Make Ahead The roasted beet salad can be refrigerated overnight. Return to room temperature before making the sauce and cooking the scallops. Suggested Pairing A dish like this one, with both sweet flavors (scallops) and hot ones (horseradish), usually pairs best with either a crisp but full-bodied white or a lively rosé (rosés combine the fruitiness of red wines with the briskness of whites). Good choices include Alsace Pinot Gris, Italian rosato or French rosé. Rate it Print