Pan-Seared Jumbo Scallops with Sweet Potato Mash

Do you know how easy it is to cook scallops?

Simply dusting them with salt and pepper and searing them up in a pan produces a fantastic result. They cook fast. Maybe a little butter to jazz them up. Some lemon.

That's all you need.

Why mess with something so good in the first place?

For this recipe, I did just that. They're served over a simple sweet potato mash. To make it, I back sweet potatoes in the oven. Then I allow them to cool and peel off the skins. Add butter, salt and a dash of cinnamon. Mash them with a fork. They're so tasty!

The sweet potato mash gives this dish a nice seasonal flare, don't you think?

Without further ado... here's the recipe. Enjoy!

Pan-Seared Scallops with Sweet Potato Mash
Serves 2 people
Cooking time: about one hour (including baking the sweet potatoes)
Gluten free

Ingredients
6 jumbo scallops
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
3 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons butter (preferably pastured like Kerrygold brand)
1 lemon, halved
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of smoked paprika (optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

To make the sweet potato mash, poke holes in the sweet potatoes. Bake them in the oven on a lined baking sheet for 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Peel the skins off the potatoes and place in a bowl. Add the butter, cinnamon, and salt to taste. Mash with a fork.

Meanwhile, to cook the scallops, heat the grapeseed oil in a pan over high heat, until almost smoking. Rinse the scallops and pat them dry. Season with salt and pepper, and smoked paprika if desired. Gently add the scallops to the pan so that they're not touching. Sear them, turning once, for about 1 1/2 minutes per side. They should form a golden crust. Remove the scallops from the heat and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

To plate, spoon some of the sweet potato mash on the bottom of the plate and top with three scallops per plate. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!