Scallop Sandwich with Zucchini and Chive Lavender Pesto
July 21, 2015
Shave the zucchini with a peeler.
As I mentioned earlier, the pesto is inspired by something I had in Italy on a little wine crawl of Venice. I added mayo because I was initially inspired by a lobster roll.
Pour the pesto onto the zucchini. This salad would be great on its own as a side dish.
Don't overcook the scallops. Just a few minutes a side.
Crunchy toasted focaccia, super tender scallops, and a little chew from the zucchini gave this sandwich a perfect textural contrast.
The scallops were nice and sweet with that little hint of ocean flavor, and the zucchini had a really nice savory flavor from the chives and pistachio. The lavender gave the whole sandwich just enough of a floral hint.
Please drink a beer with this. Mine was a session pilsner.
Scallop Sandwich with Zucchini and Chive Lavender Pesto
- The Zucchini Salad
- 1 Package Chives (like a cup of whole chives)
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Lavender
- 1/2 Cup Pistachios
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 1/4 Cup Mayo
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Lemon (Juice)
- 3 Zucchini
- The Rest
- Scallops
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Mix all the pesto ingredients except the zucchini in a food processor. Don't over process it, keep it slightly chunky. Use a peeler to make strips of the zucchini and put them in a bowl. Pour the pesto into the bowl with the zucchini and gently toss until it is all coated. Put it into the fridge until you are ready to build the sandwiches.
- Clean the scallops and dry them. Toss them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Depending on how big they are, grill on very high heat for about 2 or 3 minutes a side to brown but just barely cook through. Throw the focaccia on there too to give it a little color.
- Build the sandwich with the scallops first, and then top with the zucchini. My scallops were medium sized and I fit 6 on each sandwich.