Seared Scallops Over Grapefruit Barley Risotto #KitchenMatrixCookingProject

I know, I know. Risotto is made with arborio rice. But I had barley...and I really wanted to make a citrus-y 'risotto' to go underneath my seared scallops for this week's project. So, this isn't really risotto, but I didn't want to invent a word for barley done risotto-style.

Here we are moving into the second half of November.  That means that the Kitchen Matrix Cooking Project - really Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm, Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories, and I - have been doing this for ten months already. You can read more about our project here. And this month, Wendy picked the recipes. This week, she selected Scallops  + 12 Ways. Bittman offers a dozen preparations with scallops including six grilled and six raw. I will definitely be trying his Miso-Glazed Scallops and Panzanella Scallops on the cooked side. For the raw scallops, the Salsa Cruda and Tartare were intriguing.

I love scallops, but it's not the preferred seafood at my house. Still I've made some scallop dishes that were well received...

Think Lemon-Poached Scallops with Caviar Limes; Coquilles Saint-Jacques, a scallop gratin of sorts; Tamarind Scallops Over Soba Noodles; and Pan-Fried Scallops with Uni Butter and Caviar. Before we get to my offering this week, please check out the line-up...

An InLinkz Link-up

Grapefruit Barley 'Risotto' 
with Seared Scallops

Ingredients makes 4 servings

• 1/2 onion, peeled and diced
• 2 shallots, peeled and diced
• 2 T butter
• splash of olive oil
• 2 C barley
• 2 C grapefruit juice (it took 2 grapefruits to get this)
• 1 C boiling water
• 1 sprig rosemary, destemmed
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese
• segments of 1 grapefruit
• 3 to 4 scallops per person
• 3 T butter
• fleur de sel
• freshly ground pepper
• rosemary sprigs - all needles cleaned off for the bottom half of the sprig

Procedure
Melt 2 T butter with a splash of olive oil in a large, flat-bottom pan. Add the onions and shallots and cook until translucent and beginning to caramelize. Add the barley and stir until completely coated with oil and butter. Pour in the grapefruit juice and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the barley is cooked through and the liquid is completely absorbed. Fold in the mascarpone and season with fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper. Let sit while you sear the scallops.

In a skillet, melt 3 T butter until frothy. Press the scallops dry and place them in the skillet. Sear quickly, approximately 2 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

To serve, fold grapefruit segments into the risotto. Spoon out individual servings, skewer on scallops onto a rosemary sprig, if you wish, and place on top of the barley. Serve immediately.