Spicy Pineapple-Glazed Sea Scallops with Soy-Miso Vinaigrette and Grilled Pineapple Relish

As friends of ours now know (thanks to our having made it abundantly clear in the last few weeks), Vanessa and I found out that we will be moving to Hawaii in about a year, for what will likely be my last tour in the Navy before moving onto something else.

Since finding this out, Vanessa has been busy perfecting her Mai Tai recipe while we set aout looking for a dish with which we could celebrate, and hopefully evoke the flavors of Hawaii. You'll be happy to know we found one.

The comes from Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill and it satisfied our requirements to a "T". This is great tropical mix of pan-Asian and tropical summer flavors. Not difficult to put together either. Truly delicious! We'll likely haul this one out again when we get there.

GLAZE
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup red onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 serrano chile, coarsely chopped
3 cups sweetened pineapple juice

RELISH
1 large ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into 1 inch rings
vegetable oil, for brushing
4 scallion, finely sliced
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 jalapeno, finely diced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and black pepper

VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
2 tablespoons white miso paste
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
½ cubes peanut oil
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon white pepper

SCALLOPS
40 scallops, trimmed
salt and black pepper

GLAZE
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until almost smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add the serrano pepper and pineapple juice, raise the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1 cup. Place in a blender and blend until smooth. Let cool at room temperature. May be refrigerated, covered, for 1 day; serve at room temperature. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

RELISH
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high, Brush the pineapple rings with oil on both sides and grill until golden brown and almost cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove from the grill and chop coarsely. Place the chopped pineapple in a large bowl. Add the green onions, bell pepper, lime juice, jalapeno, cilantro and oil, and season with salt and pepper. May be refrigerated for 1 day; serve at room temperature. Makes 3 cups.

VINAIGRETTE
Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. May be refrigerated, covered, for 1 day; serve at room temperature. Makes about 3/4 cup.

SCALLOPS
Place the scallops in a large, shallow pan or baking dish, cover with the Pineapple Glaze, and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes, no longer. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high.

Remove the scallops from the marinade, shaking off any excess (discard the used marinade), season with salt and pepper, and grill until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

Place the Grilled Pineapple Relish in the center of a large platter, arrange the scallops around the relish, and drizzle the scallops with the Soy-Miso Vinaigrette.