Star anise has been showing up all over restaurant menus lately, even in seafood dishes. This light and lively first course was inspired by such recipes.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh orange juice
4 whole star anise
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon 1/2 x 1/8-inch orange peel strips (orange part only)
4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
16 sea scallops
Directions
Boil juice and star anise in saucepan until juice is reduced to 2/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Cool; remove star anise and reserve. Whisk sugar and cornstarch into juice. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add orange peel strips and reserved star anise to skillet and sauté 1 minute. Add leeks; sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add scallops; sauté until opaque in center, turning once, about 3 minutes. Add juice mixture; boil until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
