Scallops!

Tonight I bought some U10 Sea Scallops for a belated Mother's day dinner for my lovely wife Teresa as she had to work on the actual day and I was playing some music at The Vineyard this past weekend.
Menu: for two
6 U10 Sea Scallops, thawed and dried
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil, divided
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
5 small Red Potatoes
1/3 cup whole milk
3 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Lb. Asparagus


Anyway, I pan-seared the scallops in a "screaming-hot" pan with a little Olive oil and some Kosher salt and fresh ground Black Pepper. The scallops were frozen so I thawed them in a Qt. ziplock bag in cold water and then dried them thoroughly on several layers of paper towel until as dry as I could make them.
First on the agenda was the Mashed Baby Red potatoes. I cut them in half and place them in cold water, then bring the heat up to boiling and add a few pinches of salt to the water. simmer for about 15 minutes until fork tender.
In the meantime, prep the Asparagus by trimming the woody parts by snapping one stalk and where it snaps naturally is where you cut the stalks to get rid of the tough parts ( save those for stock). Place them in a baking dish in one layer and drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil then toss with Kosher Salt and Pepper. Place in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Next, prepare the mashed potatoes by placing the drained potatoes over moderate heat and allowing them to dry a bit. Add the milk and butter and mash with a good potato masher until fairly smooth. Cover and set aside, off-heat.
Next, prep the scallops by seasoning them with a generous sprinkle of Kosher Salt and fresh ground black pepper. Heat a 8-12" Stainless skillet on high until screaming hot. Add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and add the scallops, cooking for 2 minutes on the first side, then flipping and cooking for about 1 1/2 minutes on the second side. They should be nicely browned on both sides. serve the scallops with the mashed potatoes and 1/2 of the asparagus on a plate and pour a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc to accompany the whole deal.
Bon Appetit!
Tim