Seared scallops stuffed with green olive tapenade

Yesterday was Valentine's Day and my lovely hubby made me a very special meal. We began with seared diver scallops stuffed with green olive tapenade. Next up was mushroom soup with chorizo, followed by pasta with meat and porcini ragu. It was an amazing meal - full of bold, fresh flavors.

The scallops were Stephen's adaptation of a Jacques Pepin recipe. First he roughly chopped an assortment of green olives. Then he sliced each scallop nearly in half, like a sandwich. He stuffed each scallop with some of the olives and then placed them on a plate coated with olive oil and fresh thyme. The scallops were covered on both sides with the oil and then seared in a hot, dry pan for about 4 minutes. To serve, he made a sauce with more olives and some heavy cream and garnished with chopped parsley.

Fantastic!