Maine Scallops with Grapefruit and Basil

January in Maine welcomes the rich sweet large sea scallops, a delicious treat. I was given a great book by my mother-inlaw, The Flavor Bible, from which I drew inspiration for this flavor combination and recipe.

Maine Scallops with Grapefruit and Basil over Lime Couscous

serves 2

3/4 lb fresh sea scallops

1/4 cup loosely packed torn basil leaves

1 pink grapefruit peeled, and each segment removed from the membrane

1/4 cup white wine

2/3 cup couscous

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup water

dash of salt

1 lime zested

To make the couscous in a small sauce pan add water, olive oil, and salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling remove from heat, add couscous, cover and let sit for 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add lime zest. Meanwhile peel the grapefruit, cut away each segment and peel away the membrane over a bowl so you save any lost juice, place peeled segments in the bowl. Preparing the grapefruit is a bit of a tedious task, my husband believes this preparation of it is used to torture the prep cook, really it is not that bad and very worth the effort (less than 10 minutes effort). Wash and tear the basil leaves, set aside. In a heavy pan add 1/4 cup white wine over medium heat and scallops, be careful not to overcook the scallops. Cooking time of the scallops will largely depend on size, with the extra large scallops I often use a lid to help cook them evenly but this still takes only 5 minutes or so. Just before the scallops are cooked add the grapefruit sections and their juice into the pan and then the basil, stir to combine, remove from heat, and plate over the prepared couscous. I like to serve a sauvignon blanc with this dish, and cook the scallops in it. A great sauvignon blanc with notes of citrus and a mellow finish that will not break the bank and is widely available is Starborough from Marlborough New Zealand. Enjoy this quick tasty meal, in less than 30 minutes you will be eating a healthy tasty elegant meal.