Tequila Marinated Scallops and Fiddle Heads With a Chipotle Aioli

This is a unique appetizer that will be sure to impress... takes under 20 minutes!

Have you ever tried fiddle heads? They are unique and delicious when pan fried! Even better when paired with scallops splashed with Tequila and nestled in a spicy chipotle aioli. This was honestly very easy to do but is impressive and flavorful for guests!

I started with pan frying the fiddle heads by themselves as I wanted to be able to toss them around the pan, which would have broken up the raw scallops if done together. I added some olive oil and a bit of garlic powder to enhance their flavour! You don't want these to become too cooked, they need to still have a bit of a crunch! So if you think you are nearly there, feel free to taste test the crunch factor along the way... probably my favourite part!

I placed these in my warming drawer and moved on to the scallops. If you don't have a warming drawer not to worry, you can give them a quick warm up before plating as well!

I started with some Jumbo Scallops and dusted them with salt and pepper. The trick to incredible flavour is splashing them with tequila. Don't soak them down you just want a light flavor!

I added a touch more tequila to the pan and some olive oil and started to create my sear!

Once the sear is perfect on both sides, I covered and reduced the heat to ensure these were perfectly cooked through! Don't leave them too long!

On to the aioli, I listed out how to create this aioli in a previous post. It is so versatile, I've used it for a variety of things. I'll add the link below but intil then check out how delicious it looks???

To plate this out, I simply painted the dish with a decent layer of the aioli. The point is that you nestle the scallops and fiddle heads on top, and you and/or your guests smear them around to gather sauce with their tooth pick or fork.... It allows for people to take as much or as little sauce as they want and let the sear on your scallops be visible! It's my favourite way to plate this! I hope you try it and if you do.... I love hearing how it turned out for you and even receiving pictures!!!

The Recipe:

Jumbo scallops - about 4 per person is ideal

1-2 cups of fiddle heads! (this recipe is just as good with asparagus if you can't find the fiddle heads)

Cook the fiddle heads in a pan with a dusting of garlic powder (1 Tbsp ish) and ollive oil. Cook until tender but still with a slight crunch. Set aside.

Dust the scallops with salt and pepper, and literally splash out some tequila on top trying to ensure you hit each one.

Add some olive oil 1-2 Tbsps and a touch more tequila (1Tbsp) to the pan and start a sear on high heat. Watch these and flip when ready to sear the other side. Probably 3 minutes a side. Lower the head and cover to steam for around another 5 minutes. Keep checking though.

The aioli directions can be found here.

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