Try Executive Chef Frank Caputo's Seared Sea Scallop recipe

May 4, 2:54 PMOrganic Food ExaminerNatalie Rotunda

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Chef Frank Caputo, Executive Chef, Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Western Regional Medical Center, is part of CTCA’s comprehensive, patient-centered treatment model that fully integrates traditional, state-of-the-art medical treatments with scientifically supported complementary therapies such as nutrition, naturopathic medicine, psychological counseling, physical therapy and spiritual support to meet the special, whole-person needs of patients with advanced and complex cancer.

Today, Chef Caputo shares a delicious recipe for wild caught sea scallops which he used in a demonstration at the April 25th Women’s Expo held in nearby Phoenix. Lucky event participants sampled the dish! He also passes along this nice but simple trick: Use ingredients like fresh chopped herbs, fresh cracked pepper, fresh squeezed citrus juices, toasted grains, nuts and coconut. They all add a nice pop, burst of flavor, and depth when and wherever they are used. Toasting causes the natural oils to be released and flavors to intensify. We know that all fat is flavor, so by eliminating the fat, instead substituting with ingredients such as these, we replace fat with healthy, natural, fresh-bursting flavors for added depth.

Seared Dry Pack Sea Scallop with Whole Organic Millet,
Curried White Sauce and Tropical Fruit Salsa

Yield: 50 portions / 1 scallop per person

Curry White Sauce
1 quart Fish Stock, Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock
1.5 oz Arrowroot or Corn Starch
8 fl oz Evaporated Skimmed Milk
.25 tsp Sea Salt
.25 tsp Ground White Pepper
2 Tbl Curry Paste or 1 Tbl of Curry Powder.

Organic Millet
4 cup Whole Millet
8 cups Vegetable stock or Water
4 tsp Canola Oil
2 cups Lightly toasted coconut flakes
1 cup Toasted Brazil Nuts, rough chopped
1 cup Shredded carrot
1 cup Chiffonade of Mustard Greens

Method: In a heavy skillet heat with 1 teaspoon of oil, toast the millet until the grain is tan in color. Add 2 cups of boiling stock, the remaining oil to the grain. Stir, cover and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes to desired texture, or until all of the water is absorbed. Then stir in the toasted coconut flakes and toasted chopped Brazil nuts. Season to taste; garnish with fresh chopped Thai Basil.

Tropical Fruit Salsa
Pineapple
Strawberries
Mango
Papaya
Star fruit
Lime juice (if too tart, substitute blood orange juice, tangerine, grapefruit, or orange juice)
Canola oil (optional), just a touch to keep fruits fresh and moist
Mint (can also be interchanged with Thai Basil, Lemon Thyme, Lemon Verbena or Cilantro)

Dice all fresh fruit into small pieces, and toss with lime or other citrus listed above, and chopped mint.

Scallops
50 ea Dry Pack Wild Caught Sea Scallops, 20/30 Count
1 cup Vegetable Oil for Searing
To Taste Salt and Pepper

Before searing the scallops, first pat them dry to reduce splatter of oil. Before going into a hot pan or on a barbeque grill or the broiler, lightly toss with Canola oil and a touch of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, Cook the seafood just until the center is opaque in color or firm to touch after cooking them on both sides. Chef Caputo suggests that the scallops can be substituted with your own favorite fish, such as salmon, haddock, grouper, snapper, mahi mahi; or pork tenderloin.

Celebrate Mother’s Day, graduation, or any day, by preparing wonderful recipes like this for family and friends in the comfort of your own kitchen.