Scallop_peaTomorrow is my sister in-law Kim’s birthday. She, along with my in-laws, were here this weekend to help us paint the nursery so we did a little dinner Saturday night to celebrate.

The last few dinner parties we’ve thrown, I’ve done something as an amuse bouche — for a couple reasons. First, by skipping this course myself, it allows me time to get organized and caught up in the kitchen for subsequent courses. And, as in the case of this scallop, it’s an easy way for me to cook some seafood for my guests…but I don’t have to eat it.

This is super simple. Get the freshest scallops you can find…sprinkle with curry powder, salt and pepper and sear in a hot pan with a little oil and butter.

The puree is blanched frozen peas, fresh parsley and cilantro, ginger, garlic, cumin, curry powder, salt and pepper and a little olive oil all buzzed in a food processor.

I was shocked to discover that I don’t have a single bottle of gewurztraminer in my cellar (the horror!), so I served Wolffer Estate Vineyards’ 2003 Brut Sparkling Wine with this. Sparkling wine is so amazingly versatile with food…and it worked out just fine.