How To Make Two Dishes Using Blood Oranges

This week on The Feed Podcast, Chef Todd Stein (4 Star Restaurant Group) stops by Frontera’s test kitchen to accept the challenge from Rick Bayless to come up with something anyone could make at home using winter citrus, specifically blood oranges. The rules, as always: you can use up to five additional ingredients, and you have to make it in 15 minutes or less. Recipes below.

Rick’s Almond Butter-Blood Orange Guacamole
Yield: about 3 cups

1 to 2 fresh serrano or small jalapeño chiles
2 medium blood oranges
3 ripe, medium-large avocados, halved and flesh scooped from the skin
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 large knob onion
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt

In a small dry skillet, roast the chiles over medium heat, turning regularly, until they’re soft and splotchy black in places, about 5 to 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut into ¼ inch pieces (no need to remove the seed pod).
While the chiles are roasting, stand the blood orange on a cutting board, stem-end up. With a sharp knife, cut off the rind (colored zest and white pith) and top layer of membrane, exposing the flesh. (I find it easiest to cut from top to bottom, following the curve of the fruit.) The membrane that separates the segments will be clearly visible as thin white lines running from the blood orange’s top to bottom. Holding the blood orange in one hand, cut toward the center on either side of each membrane, releasing membrane-less segments (aka supremes). Chop ½ of the supremes and save the rest for garnish.
Scoop the avocado and the almond butter into a large bowl and mash them coarsely with an old-fashioned potato masher, large fork or back of a large spoon. Finely dice the green part of the knob onion and add to the avocado. Thinly slice the white part of the onion and reserve for garnish.
Add the chopped blood oranges, diced chiles, and lime. Gently stir to combine, taste and season with salt, usually about 1 teaspoon.
Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve—best within a couple of hours. When you’re ready for the guacamole, scoop it into a serving dish and sprinkle with the remaining blood orange supremes and the white portion of the knob onions.

Todd Stein’s Seared Bay Scallops, Poached Fennel, Blood Oranges, Caper-Green Olive Sauce

10 pieces Bay Scallops (per person)
1 head fennel, cored and cut into 1.5 inch squares, fennel tops reserved
1 blood orange, peeled and sectioned
2 T blood orange juice
2 T capers
½ pound butter, cut into cubes
2 T minced parsley or chives
3 ea. Italian green olives i.e. Castelvetrano or Cerignola
3 tablespoons water

For Butter Sauce:
In a small pot heat the water until it bubbles, turn the heat down and start whisking in cubes of butter until they start to emulsify with the water, one to two cubes at a time. Use about ¾ of the ½ pound of butter to make enough sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm but do not boil as sauce can break. Add capers and blood orange juice right before you plate the dish, as well as 1 T parsley or chives, and olives.

For the Fennel:
After cutting the fennel, place in a small bowl with a touch of water and microwave on high het for about 3 min, or until the fennel is soft, but not overcooked, reserve.

For The Scallops
Heat a non stick pan, and add remaining butter to pan, and cook until brown. Season scallops with salt only, and add to pan. Do not overcrowd the pan or the scallops will not caramelize. Cook on one side until they caramelize, and then flip over, cook another 30 seconds, add remaining herbs and coat the scallops, then remove from pan and pat dry.
To Plate:
Add all final ingredients to butter sauce as well as poached fennel. Spoon mixture on plate and place bay scallops on top. Use fennel fronds to garnish.