Tartelettes de Saint-Jacques à la Mangue

The feast of St. James the Greater is celebrated on July 25th. A couple years ago I ran across the following recipe online. In Cooking with the Saints, the author points out that scallops are called "Coquilles Saint-Jacques" in French, and therefore the majority of recipes associated with St. James contain scallops. So, this would be a perfect appetizer to serve in his honor. Doesn't it look delicious?

Tartelettes de Saint-Jacques à la Mangue

[Scallop Mango Tartlets]

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
• 1 large ripe mango
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 12 sea scallops (about 10 to 12 ounces), fresh, or frozen and thawed according to package directions
• 2 tablespoons ricotta or cream cheese
• Salt, freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. On a floured surface, gently roll the sheet of puff pastry until it forms a 10-to-11-inch square. Use an upturned bowl, about 4 1/2 inches in diameter, and a knife to cut out four circles of dough. Place the circles on the prepared cookie sheet, prick them a few times in the center with a fork (to prevent excessive rising) and bake for 8-10 minutes, until puffy and golden.

In the meantime, cut the mango vertically on either side of the pit, peel the skin and cut the flesh into thin slivers. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter turns a light nutty brown, add the scallops. Cook for one minute without moving them around, allowing a nice golden crust to form. Flip the scallops and cook for 40 seconds on the other side. (If you're using bay scallops, lower the cooking time to 30 seconds on one side, 20 seconds on the other). Transfer carefully onto a plate lined with paper towels.

Remove the circles of dough from the oven, but leave the heat on. Drop specks of cheese on each circle (no need to spread it, it will melt in the oven), leaving a half-inch margin all around. Cover each circle with a fourth of the mango, and top with three sea scallops (or a fourth of your total). Season the tarts with salt and pepper and return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve immediately.

Saint James the Greater ~ Pray for us!