Scallops with Blackberry Chipotle Sauce

This is easily one of my favorite dinners. Blackberries and chipotle peppers do not sound like they go together – but they do! This dish has a ton of flavor with very little effort!



Scallops in Blackberry Chipotle Sauce over Couscous
Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine, July/August 2010

4 cups blackberries
2 teaspoons lemon zest
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (or just the adobo sauce for a milder heat)
1 cup whole-wheat couscous
2 teaspoons olive oil
20 oz large scallops, touch muscle removed and patted dry with paper towel
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped

In a small bowl, combine the blackberries, lemon zest and juice, honey, and chipotle chiles; set aside.

In a small saucepan with a lid, bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil, then add couscous. Cover tightly, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.

Remove the muscle on the scallops and pat them dry before cooking.

Preheat a cast-iron skillet over high heat before drizzling in oil. Season scallops with pepper and sear them in a skillet for about 2 minutes per side. When scallop edges start to split, remove scallops and keep warm.

Add blackberry mixture to hot skillet and stir rapidly. When bubbling, reduce heat to low and stir until berries start to break down and are heated through, about 4 minutes. The mixture should be somewhat syrupy. If the berries do not break down enough, mash them with a spoon.

Divide couscous evenly among 4 plates, spoon over top all but 4 tablespoons blackberry sauce, then top with seared scallops and drizzle with remaining blackberry sauce. Garnish with parsley.

Serves 4