Ever since I came across this post on Mis Pensamientos blog, I’ve been craving tahini in a big way.
I started out by making her delicious salad, twice, but couldn’t stop there. Before I knew it, I was hijacked by visions of pan seared scallops with lime infused tahini, rendering me completely helpless against the forces of the kitchen.
Not such a bad thing after all.
Since everyone in this family has a thing for coleslaw (crémeuse ou traditionnelle?), I served the scallops on a bed of raw cabbage drizzled with the tahini sauce. De.lish.
You could also do the reverse and enjoy the scallops over the tahini sauce ~ as desired. (I had to make them again just to be sure it was a suitable alternate. Pure torture).
Seared Scallops with Lime infused Tahini
For the Scallops
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6 scallops
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Olive oil
For Lime Infused Tahini
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1 Tbsp olive oil
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3 tsp tahini (sesame paste)
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2 garlic cloves, pressed
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2 tsp lime juice
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1 tsp lime zest
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Pinch of sea salt and cracked pepper
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A few pieces of stray cilantro, chopped
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Directions:
Serves 2
Combine tahini ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Allow ingredients to sit together for at least 1 hour before serving. Be sure to stir again before drizzling over scallops.
For the scallops, I like to use a cast iron skillet to get a good sear. I use a nice stable fat that can tolerate heat, such as butter or coconut oil, and get the skillet good and hot (but not smoking). Once the fat has melted and the skillet is hot, add scallops to skillet with a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked pepper. Allow scallops to sizzle for approximately two minutes before flipping to sear the other side for another two minutes or until done. (Frying time will depend on the size/width of the scallops you are working with).
When ready to serve, drizzle scallops with tahini (or set tahini in a small bowl beside scallops as pictured) or rest scallops over tahini sauce.
moi je préfère la traditionnelle ~
Just found this.. .ooks so yummy!!! I love scallops, and the pairing is just a gorgeous idea. this sauce is similar to mideastern TARATOOR Sauce, but lime is a very good idea!! more fragrant….
By the way: a typical iraqi way to eat Tahini( they call it Rashi) is with dates. pit the dates and dip them in fresh pure Tahini sauce…. delicious!!! also very nice: mix it with liquid honey…. spread on warm toast, preferably rye…. heaven
Thank you for your inspirations!!!
What gorgeous, perfectly seared scallops! I love that this is a salad with lime and cilantro as these are two of my fav flavors.
Alaiyo
Thanks so much Magic of Spice ~ I appreciate you dropping in.
Thanks Stephanie… scallops seem to be well loved :)
yes, indeed, the lime infused tahini is incredibly versatile; you can pair it with any protein… it’s easy to pull together and very worthwhile! :) thanks Beth Michelle.
Thanks so much…tahini is often paired with lemon in hummus but the lime brings a slightly different taste – it’s a nice change I think; thanks foodjaunts!
Coleslaw is a beaut ~ the other night we had sliced steak and salsa over cabbage – so easy and delish!
Thanks Angie ~
Gliding Calm ~ what a wonderful name…thank you for stopping by and welcome to Inspired Edibles.
Hee.hee, cheers Joanne!
Thanks Sissi ~ I think I may be crazy for scallops too… I definitely get cravings for them and it doesn’t seem to be limited to a particular time of year… pretty much all the time ;0
Yes, you can double or triple the batch and enjoy it on virtually any protein – so yummy! Thank you for your generous compliments Anne :)
The Queen of Scallops – hee.hee – thank you France, very kind! :)
Thanks Greg!
Thanks so much Kim – I hope you’re weekend is treating you well – xo
Yes, this is the neat thing is that there are so many different ways to enjoy tahini outside hummus (though that too is delicious). I agree this could work well for the dinner party scenario because it’s so low maintenance – you can make the sauce in advance and the scallops take about 6 minutes to pan sear.
Hee.hee, thanks so much Kay – I hope you’re having a fantastic weekend! :)
Ah, agreed. Scallops… :)
Thanks so much for dropping by – I appreciate your comment.
Thanks so much MJ – I find scallops so easy to prepare (hard to miss really) – and matched up with different flavourings, it’s a nice experience all around :)
Thanks Linda – they seem to marry well together and now I’m not sure I can eat scallops without tahini :)
Scallops are the ultimate in simplicity and so DE.lish… the lime seems to work well; hope you enjoy if you give them a try. Cheers Amy.
Thanks Caroline! Hope you’re having a great weekend.
What a gorgeous Asian Inspired Slaw Eva… thank you for pointing it out and what a great idea to make a big batch and play around with different toppings through the week.
Cheers Kristy ~ it’s nice to have other uses for tahini beyond hummus. I hope you’re having a good weekend.
Absolutely! I love your recipes Junia ~ so inventive and luminous (literally!) :)
Thank you Leaf ~ I hope you’re having a great weekend.
Haha, thanks Mom Chef! I’ve never had tahini with scallops before and now I don’t know if I can go back ;0
thanks Laura – I like the lime too – how neat about the mole… would you add cocoa to the sesame paste? interesting…
Beautiful scallops and love this tahini with the lime…delightful!
I love scallops!! And that lime infused tahini sauce sounds so awesome!! Great recipe, Kelly!
My mouth is watering from this post! I love scallops but they can not be found here in Israel. Sigh. But, I can totally make that lime infused tahini!!!
I never would have thought to match lime and tahini together. So creative! Plus your scallops look gorgeous
This sounds great and your scallops look perfect. I like the cole slaw angle. Genius to serve the scallops on it!
Lime infused tahini sounds wonderful. The scallops are perfectly pan seared.
MM! I love scallops!! these sound spectacular!! thanks!
Domino effect – now I’M craving tahini. In a big way! This sounds super delicious.
Kelly, I think I have already told you how much I loved scallops… I’m crazy for scallops and could have them probably every other day till the end of my life. Your dish looks gorgeous and so original with the tahini sauce (it might be a good idea for me: I have had an open jar for about two months now in the fridge).
Oh my gosh Kelly….what picture perfectly seared scallops! I would have to make a double batch of that awesome lime tahini….because it looks just as good as a sauce for the scallops as it does as a dressing for your cabbage! Your photos are gorgeous! : )
Whenever you do scallops, they are always so beautiful. You’re the scallop queen. What a lovely dressing choice. Lime and tahini, yum.
Simply amazing!
I loooooooooove scallops and have not had them for a looong time. I adore the texture & gritty taste.
This recipe looks deLish, Kelly. xx
Have a nice weekend,
My Inner Chick http://myinnerchick.com
I had never had tahini before moving to the Middle East and now I’m obsessed too! I love this dish! I’ve only used it to make hummus, but I really love what you’ve done! This looks simple but elegant enough to serve at a fancy dinner party. Love it!
Be still my heart. Kelly, you are going to help me enjoy my weekend with this amazing seared scallop recipe. I just LOVE scallops. And the lime infused sauce sounds amazing. You have definitely done it again :)
Ah, scallops. These look delicious.
This looks amazing. Fresh, healthy and delicious. Love it!
Velva
Your scallops have a perfect sear! Looks like your castiron skillet and choice of fat did the job. YUM! I never would have thought of serving scallops with tahini anything, but your recipe looks great and definitely has my mouthwatering!
Wow Kelly, this sounds and looks delicious!! I love the sauce, very unique to use tahini in it. The lime is just enough not to overwhelm the scallops. Wonderful recipe!!
Oooh, I love the idea of adding lime to the tahini! And I what a delicious way to enjoy scallops. I haven’t had them in a while…I may have to get some for dinner soon.
Looove scallops, these look divine!! That sauce, too!!
This is exactly to my taste, Kelly. I also prefer traditional coleslaw, much healthier! You really got a gorgeous sear on the scallops. The sweetness would be divine with the tahini.
I did a rendition of Susur Lee’s 19 ingredient Slaw that I’m sure you would love. Check it out http://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/lee-inspired-asian-slaw/ — it is my all time favourite slaw. I usually make a giant bowl of it and have it all week with different toppings. Well worth the ingredient list and time.
Oh fun! A new recipe to make use of that large bottle of tahini I have in the pantry. And you know we love our scallops! Mmmmm. Thank you for sacrificing yourself to make sure the recipe was suitable. You’re always going that extra mile for your readers. ;)
Great job Sally, I’m totally impressed!
There’s a chicken resto chain in Quebec called St-Hubert Bbq – they serve coleslaw with their meals and for years it was served with a vinaigrette (la traditionnelle) then, to my horror :), they came out with la crèmeuse – with a mayo base. So there is a friendly competition between those who prefer the traditional salt/vinegar dressing (which they continue to offer) vs. the newer mayo dressing. But whenever you order, the waiter/ress asks: crémeuse ou traditionnelle? It’s a classic. Now you know where I stand – ha-ha! :)
Yet another recipe I fell in love right away with… scallops are so nice, quick to prepare, elegant, and moi aussi, je pense que je prefere la methode traditionnelle…. mais il faut tout essayer!
(I probably murdered a few words, my written French is pathetic! ;-)
ahhh i am craving tahini now!!! the lime infused tahini with a touch of cilantro and garlic sounds fabulous. :D so glad your family is enjoying the tahini salad. thanks for the shoutout :D.
What a great idea for scallops… love those flavours.
Those scallops are done perfectly. I wish I could snatch one off your plate right now. I love scallops. Heck, I love everything about this dish. The tahini……wow.
Lime infused tahini sounds fabulous – especially with that cilantro. I always use lemon… great way to shake it up! I could also see this being the start of some kind of wonderful (though bastardized) version of a nutty mole!