Scallops With Cheese Grits

Ingredients

For the Scallops:

2 pounds sea scallops

2 tablespoons extra Virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

salt and pepper

1 bunch fresh chives, finely chopped

micro arugula (or similar) for garnish (optional)

For the Cheese Grits:

2 cups milk

2 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup coarse ground cornmeal

1 garlic clove, grated

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded

Preparation

For the scallops: Rinse the scallops and pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the olive oil and butter in a medium cast iron skillet and place over high heat. When hot, but not smoking, add the scallops and sear for about 90 seconds until you see a nice brown crust form. Gently flip the scallops and cook about 90 seconds more. Remove from the heat, place on a plate and reserve.

For the Cheese Grits: In a medium saucepan add the milk, water and salt, place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add the cornmeal and garlic and mix to incorporate. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, while stirring regularly until creamy and almost all the liquid as been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix in the cheese.

To serve, spoon a generous amount of cheese grits in desired serving bowls. Top with the seared scallops, garnish with chopped chives and micro arugula.