Seared Sea Scallops, Bacon & Leek Consomme, Brussels Sprouts, Leek Hearts, Baby Carrot, Fennel Root, Romanesco Cauliflower
If you've been to a wedding in the last 30 years or so there is an 85% chance that, while there, a young man or woman approached you during the cocktail hour holding a silver tray loaded up with scallops that were wrapped in bacon. And if you're at all like me, you probably ate your weight in them within that hour. It's one of those classic combinations that has lasted for so long because it works so damn well. The salty smoke of the bacon is a perfect match for the intense sweetness of the scallop. I decided to use that lovely marriage of flavors in a much different take on that wedding reception staple that will never die.
The first step was to make the broth. You may already know this but I do not buy bacon, I make my own. And whenever I make bacon and then slice it I am left with random end pieces, trimmings and chunks of skin. I always save these as they are a perfect addition to braises and stews or in this case a soup. I finely diced a whole leek and sauteed it in butter for about ten minutes until they were very tender. I added about a half a pound of diced bacon bits, cooking them for another 15 minutes or so to release as much fat as possible. I added a tablespoon of sherry vinegar and a teaspoon of soy sauce. After the sherry and soy mostly evaporated I added a quart of chicken stock. I cooked this slowly for about 3 hours to allow a lot of flavor to develop. Once finished I strained out all of the solids and then restrained the liquid through cheese clothe to clarify it.
I put a ladle-full of the broth into a saute pan along with a knob of butter and placed it over a low burner. I added the carrots, leek hearts and fennel root and covered the pan. After a few minutes I added the cauliflower and sprouts and cooked them til they were fork tender.
I patted the scallops dry and seasoned them on both sides with salt and pepper. Remember to always buy "dry-pack" scallops which have not been treated with the chemical solution that wet-pack have been subjected too. They are well worth the extra price and if you're searing them, they are the only kind that will work. I poured some grape-seed oil in a pan and when it was ripping hot I laid in the scallops searing them to a golden brown, a few minutes per side. I garnished the dish with some fennel fronds and Brussels sprout leaves.
Product:
Sea Scallops - Ippolito's
Organic Brussels Sprouts - Culton Organics
Organic Romanesco Cauliflower - Culton Organics
Organic Baby Fennel - Culton Organics
Baby Carrots and Leeks - Blooming Glen
The first step was to make the broth. You may already know this but I do not buy bacon, I make my own. And whenever I make bacon and then slice it I am left with random end pieces, trimmings and chunks of skin. I always save these as they are a perfect addition to braises and stews or in this case a soup. I finely diced a whole leek and sauteed it in butter for about ten minutes until they were very tender. I added about a half a pound of diced bacon bits, cooking them for another 15 minutes or so to release as much fat as possible. I added a tablespoon of sherry vinegar and a teaspoon of soy sauce. After the sherry and soy mostly evaporated I added a quart of chicken stock. I cooked this slowly for about 3 hours to allow a lot of flavor to develop. Once finished I strained out all of the solids and then restrained the liquid through cheese clothe to clarify it.
I put a ladle-full of the broth into a saute pan along with a knob of butter and placed it over a low burner. I added the carrots, leek hearts and fennel root and covered the pan. After a few minutes I added the cauliflower and sprouts and cooked them til they were fork tender.
I patted the scallops dry and seasoned them on both sides with salt and pepper. Remember to always buy "dry-pack" scallops which have not been treated with the chemical solution that wet-pack have been subjected too. They are well worth the extra price and if you're searing them, they are the only kind that will work. I poured some grape-seed oil in a pan and when it was ripping hot I laid in the scallops searing them to a golden brown, a few minutes per side. I garnished the dish with some fennel fronds and Brussels sprout leaves.
Product:
Sea Scallops - Ippolito's
Organic Brussels Sprouts - Culton Organics
Organic Romanesco Cauliflower - Culton Organics
Organic Baby Fennel - Culton Organics
Baby Carrots and Leeks - Blooming Glen