Chef Massimo’s Nova Scotia Scallops & Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 16 large scallops
• 1 cup buttercup squash
• 1 green apple, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, or your favourite seasonal mushrooms cleaned and chopped
• 2 white onions, julienne
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 celery heart, shaved and julienne
• butter
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375˚f.
2. Peel and chop the squash and place it into a baking dish with the apple and chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle with oil, add a few nuggets of butter and cover with tin foil. Bake in the preheated oven until tender.
4. Remove from the oven and place in a blender. Purée until completely smooth and creamy and set aside in a warm place.
5. Place the julienne onions in a frying pan and drizzle with oil and a few nuggets of butter.
6. Season with salt and cook on low heat until caramelized while stirring occasionally.
7. Preheat some oil in a pan until hot and gently place the cherry tomatoes in it and remove from fire, use only when the oil is completely cold.
8. Clean the scallops and season with salt and pepper.
9. Preheat a skillet and melt butter in it. Add the scallops and sear one side first.
10. Turn them over and add the mushrooms.
11. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are done to your liking.
12. Spread some squash on 4 plates and place four scallops on each, sprinkle the mushrooms around and on them, place a few tomatoes to garnish and sprinkle the onions all over the scallops.