Directions for the Butternut Puree
Add squash to sauce pan with apple juice and bay leaf. Add water until squash is covered. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook until squash is soft.
Strain squash reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaf and add butter and squash to a blender. Blend until smooth, adding a little bit of cooking liquid at a time to help the process. (!!Be stingy with the liquid because you want a thick puree and not a soup consistency!!) Strain through a mesh strainer for a smoother consistency (optional). Season to taste with salt and add your pinch of nutmeg.
Discard excess cooking liquid and reserve hot. (You could prepare this ahead of time and cool down at this stage and reheat at a later time)
Ingredients for Black Beans
Add cooked turtle beans to a pan with chicken stock and cumin. Heat until hot and liquid is reduced by ½. Turn to low and stir in the butter. Season to taste and keep warm until serving.
Directions for Reduction
Place all ingredients in a small non-reactive sauce pan. Bring to a boil, turn to a simmer and reduce down to a ¼ cup. Reduction should be syrup consistency. Strain and reserve warm to prevent it from seizing up on you (losing its smooth consistency).
Ingredients for Scallops
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sauté scallops over high heat with grape seed oil until cooked to your desired doneness. If you didn’t want to sauté scallops you could brush them with oil and either grill or broil them until desired doneness.
Chef's Notes:
You could easily omit the beans and serve these as a hors d'oeuvres with the scallop placed on a dollop of the puree and drizzled with the sauce.