Name: Sautéed Sea Scallops with Apple-Sesame Couscous and Purple and Yellow Cauliflower Purées
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 head purple cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 cup olive oil; Fine sea salt; 1 head yellow cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 cup olive oil; Fine sea salt; 2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth; 1 cup couscous; 1 green apple, peeled, cored, and diced; 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, toasted; 1/2 cup fine sea salt; 1/4 cup Madras curry powder; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 12 sea scallops (about 1 pound); 3 limes, cut into wedges; 1/2 cup purchased wakame seaweed (optional); Food processor or blender

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Sautéed Sea Scallops with Apple-Sesame Couscous and Purple and Yellow Cauliflower PuréesMasterChef

This is a winning-contestant recipe from Season Four of Fox's MasterChef.

Recipe notes

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Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Spaghetti)

Spaghetti is a common variation in modern Thai cooking. It’s so easy to work with and absorbs the garlicky, spicy notes of pad kee mao well.

Wampanoaug Clam Fritters

The clams’ natural briny sweetness serves as a surprising foil for the tender fritter batter—just be sure to pull off the tough outer coating of the siphon.

XO Sauce

Developed in the 1980s by a chef in Hong Kong, this sauce is all about umami.

Grape Dumplings

Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.

Green Curry Mussels

The mussels here add their beautiful, briny juices into the curry, which turn this into a stunning and spectacular dish.

Fufu

Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.

Sofrito Bolognese

An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.