Alfreds Diver Scallops With Vegetable Ragout And Osetra Caviar Recipes

PAN SEARED DIVER SEA SCALLOPS ACCOMPANIED BY POTATO-CUCUMBER SALAD AND VERJUS DU PERIGORD

Steps:

• Wash, peel, and rewash potatoes. Cut off edges of potato to form a rectangle. Keep edges for cooking with the chicken stock. Slice potato length-wise in 1/4-inch slices. Do the same width-wise, forming 1/4-inch cubes when finished.
• Wash, peel, and rewash cucumbers. Cut cucumbers in half; scrape the seeds out with a spoon and cut in half one more time. Then cut into diced cubes the same size as potatoes. You should have equal amounts of potatoes to cucumbers.
• Reduce the chicken stock with the potato edges by 75 percent or until the potato edges until they are soft. Smash the potato edges to form a smooth puree.
• Blanch the potato cubes in salted water.
• Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a saute pan. Lightly sear the shallots and cucumbers. Add the cornichons and vinegar. Cook until everything is al dente, then stir in the chicken stock puree and potato cubes. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt.
• For the Parsley Butter: Place the butter in a food processor and blend until smooth. When the butter is smooth, add fresh Italian parsley. Blend the butter and the parsley together until the parsley emulsifies with the butter. Add a touch of salt. Cool mixture to preserve the green color and fresh taste of the parsley.
• For the Verjus du Perigord: Over medium heat, melt the sugar, and cook until caramelized and golden brown. Add the verjus and reduce the liquid to 1/3 the volume. Add the veal stock and reduce by 1/4. Remove the foam that accumulates on top of the stock. Add creme fraiche and blend with hand blender. Slowly add the extra-virgin olive oil to form an emulsion and hand blend again.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Over a low flame melt a little olive oil and butter in a pan. It is important to keep the temperature very low, so the butter remains brown and maintains a nutty flavor.
• Lightly sear the scallops until golden brown on both sides. After searing the scallops, remove them from the pan and place on a drying rack.
• Bake for 2 to 3 minutes (depending on the size). The scallops should be medium rare. Reheat the potato-cucumber salad and add the butter at the last minute to retain the color and freshness of the parsley. On a hot, oversized plate, place the potato-cucumber salad in the center of the dish. Place the scallops on top. Drizzle the tops of the scallops with warm verjus and serve.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH CRèME FRAîCHE AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Cook scallops until golden on bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn over; sauté until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Cool to room temperature.
• Top each scallop with 1/2 teaspoon crème fraîche. Top with caviar. Garnish with chives and serve.

SCALLOPS ALFREDO

Steps:

• Thaw scallops, if frozen.
• Cut any large scallops in half; set aside.
• For sauce, in a small bowl stir together half and half, light cream, or milk; parsley; cornstarch; and pepper.
• Set aside.
• Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking).
• Preheat over medium-high heat.
• Stir-fry garlic in hot oil for 15 seconds.
• Add scallops to the hot wok.
• Stir-fry about 2 minutes or till scallops turn opaque.
• Push scallops from the center of the wok.
• Stir sauce.
• Add sauce to center of wok.
• Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.
• Cook and stir 2 minutes more.
• Add cooked fettuccine, tomato, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
• Stir all ingredients together to coat with sauce.
• Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or till heated through.
• Serve immediately.
• Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.
• Nutrition information per serving: 416 calories, 25 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 65 mg cholesterol, 341 mg sodium, 496 mg potassium.

PAN SEARED DIVER SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Clean porcinis with a damp cloth. Remove caps from stems and slice. Trim outer part of stem with paring knife, slice, and set aside.
• Peel cipollinis and cut lengthwise. Carmelize in 2 tablespoons clarified butter and set aside.
• Heat oil on saute pan. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Sear until carmelized on both sides.
• Wash baby spinach and dry. Add butter to a small saute pan and melt. Add spinach and cook until wilted.
• Wash fingerling potatoes and slice thin using a mandolin or knife. Season with salt and pepper. Brown in 2 tablespoons clarified butter.
• Combine mushrooms, spinach and potatoes on center of plate. Top with scallops. Place onions around scallops and top it all off with Hot Bacon Vinaigrette.
• In a saucepot, render bacon. Add shallots and sweat. Add vinegar and reduce by 3/4. Add demi-glace and reduce by 1/2. Melt in whole butter slowly. Strain. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

SEARED DIVER SCALLOPS WITH CAPER-HONEY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a blender, combine the vinegar, capers, honey and about half of the dill and tarragon and blend until smooth. While blending, slowly add the olive oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve at room temperature for finishing.
• Score the scallops by making 1/8-inch-deep crosshatches across the top side of each (like a checkerboard). Season with freshly cracked black pepper. Dry the scallops thoroughly on paper towels.
• In a medium saute pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat until it just begins to show ripples. Place the scallops scored-side down into the oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter to the pan and flip the scallops over; cook for 1 more minute for medium rare. Season with salt.
• Place the scallops on a serving plate and spoon some of the caper-honey sauce over the top. Top with the remaining tarragon and dill.

ALFRED'S DIVER SCALLOPS WITH VEGETABLE RAGOUT AND OSETRA CAVIAR

Steps:

• Bring a stockpot of water to a boil over high heat; add salt. Add the potatoes, and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes. Cut potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick rounds, and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
• Bring a stockpot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat; prepare an ice-water bath. Trim bottoms from brussels sprouts. Peel away the inner leaves, one by one. Add carrot to boiling water, and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer carrot to bowl with the potatoes.
• Add the leaves of the brussels sprouts to the boiling water, and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer leaves to the ice-water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain in a colander, and add leaves to bowl with carrots and potatoes.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add cream, and return to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, reduce heat to low, and whisk in butter, piece by piece.
• Add the reserved potatoes, carrots, and brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are heated through, and keep the vegetable ragout warm.
• In a 12-inch nonstick saute pan, heat oil over high heat until very hot but not smoking. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Cook scallops until golden brown on bottoms, about 3 minutes. Using kitchen tongs, turn scallops; reduce heat to medium. Cook scallops until other sides have browned, but are still rare inside, about 2 minutes.
• Reserving 1 cup vegetable ragout, divide equal amounts of the remaining ragout among four warm dinner plates. Arrange 3 scallops on top, then top each with 1/4 cup reserved ragout. Spoon the scallop-butter sauce around the plates, and sprinkle with chives. Garnish each dish with equal amounts of caviar, and serve immediately.