Cruise eats

We were fortunate to have experienced a number of delectable dishes and desserts while at sea with Princess Cruises. Two of some of my favorite things to eat are seafood and risotto and when I realized we would be having exactly seafood risotto (bathed in a fresh, creamy tomato sauce with langoustine, tiger shrimp and diver scallops) at the Chef's Table dinner, I knew it was going to be good. As one of the best dishes we had during our cruise (the scallops!), in my entirely unbiased opinion, I tried tracking down the recipe to give it a try at home. I thumbed through my copy of Princess Cruises' cookbook "Courses: A Culinary Journey" and was able to find one for seared deep sea scallops with herb ratatouille--close enough. Thought I'd share it with you guys here:

Seared Deep Sea Scallops, with herb ratatouille and potato noisettes (serves six):

Prepare the ratatouille by heating the olive oil in a large heavy pan over high heat. Add the onions and sauté. Add the garlic and peppers and sauté 4 minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Reduce the heat, cover and stew. Check the seasoning after 15 minutes and adjust (the cinnamon stick may need to be removed at this stage). Continue to cook for approximately 15 minutes more or until all of the vegetables are tender and the flavors have combined well.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Using a small sharp knife, shape the potato quarters to resemble Brazil nuts. Place the potato noisettes in a small pan, cover with salted water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, approximately 12 minutes. Drain and season.

In a sauté pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil over a high heat. Season the scallops well with salt and pepper. Sear the scallops on both sides until well-browned. Reduce the heat moderately and continue to cook until the scallops are just cooked, approximately 6 minutes. Squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the scallops when done. The scallops should be plump and juicy when cooked.

Serve the scallops with the ratatouille and potato noisettes and garnish generously with chopped fresh parsley.

Ingredients:
- 36 large sea scallops
- vegetable oil for searing
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup onion, large dice
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, large dice
- 1 green bell pepper, large dice
- 1 yellow bell pepper, large dice
- 1 cup zucchini, large dice
- 3/4 cup eggplant, large dice
- 1/2 cup black cured olives, pitted
- 2 cups tomato concassé
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme, chopped
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- 3 large potatoes
- chopped fresh parsley