Black Pepper Crusted Sea Scallops with a Crab Meat and Fiddlehead Fern Relish with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chipped onions
• 3 medium red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 cup small diced red onions
• 2 tablespoons small diced red bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons small diced yellow bell peppers
• 1/4 pound fiddlehead ferns, blanched
• 1/2 pound crabmeat, picked over for cartilege
• 12 sea scallops
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup coarse black pepper

Directions

In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 1 minute. Add the peppers and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using a hand-held blender or food processor, puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm. In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 1 minute. Add the fiddlehead ferns and saute for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and turn into a mixing bowl. Add the crabmeat and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Season the scallops with salt. Crust each scallop, both sides, with the black pepper. In a large saute pan, heat the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, add the scallops, and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat. To serve, spoon a the sauce in the center of each plate. Mound the relish in the center of the sauce. Arrange three scallops around the relish on each plate