Poached Scallops With Caviar Sauce Recipes

SALMON TIMBALLES AND SCALLOPS TARTARE WITH CAVIAR

Steps:

• Combine all the marinade ingredients, except the lime juice, in a small deep bowl. Add the salmon and scallop dice, stir well and add just enough lime juice to barely cover the mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Lightly oil 12 mini muffin cups, timbale molds or similar vessels roughly one-and-a-half-inches across and one-inch high. Line with squares of plastic wrap, keeping them as smooth as possible.
• Line the molds with the thin salmon slices, overlapping if necessary to cover interior completely, letting the excess hang over.
• Drain the marinated mixture, pressing hard on the solids to remove all possible liquid, then distribute it among the lined molds. The mixture should mound slightly above the edges. Fold the edges of the salmon liner over the tops, cover with plastic wrap and weight with a heavy cutting board or other flat weight.
• Chill the timbales for one or two hours, then remove from molds and reverse to show smooth bottoms. Top each with a dab of creme fraiche, sprinkle with chives and add a half teaspoon of the caviar.

SEA SCALLOPS POACHED IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• For 1 1/2 pounds whole scallops. Simmer 1/2 tablespoon minced shallots for 3 minutes with 1/3 cup each of dry white French vermouth and water plus 1/2 teaspoon salt and a small imported bay leaf. Then add the scallops and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, just until lightly springy to the touch. Remove from heat and let cool in the liquid at least 10 minutes, to pick up its flavor. Remove scallops, discard bay leaf, and rapidly boil down liquid until almost syrupy.
• serving suggestions: fines herbes
• Stir fresh minced parsley and/or dill, tarragon or chives into the reduced liquid, and briefly reheat scallops, folding in, if you wish, a few tablespoons of heavy cream.
• provençal-with tomatoes
• Stir 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, juiced, and chopped fresh tomatoes (see box, page 30) and 1 large clove of minced garlic into the reduced liquid. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, then uncover and boil down rapidly to thicken. Season. Fold in the scallops and reheat briefly. Fold in minced parsley or other green herbs and serve.
• Note
• Simmering times for quartered sea scallops and bay scallops, 15 to 30 seconds; for calicos, bring just to the simmer.

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.

POACHED SCALLOPS WITH CAVIAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring the clam juice and heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the butter and whisk to incorporate. Set aside.
• Bring the court-bouillion to a simmer in a pan large enough to accommodate the scallops. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the scallops to the simmering court-bouillon and poach gently until they are cooked just to rare, about 1 1/2 minutes for large scallops, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for jumbo scallops.
• To serve, place a bed of rock salt on each plate and rest a scallop shell on it (if you do not have scallop shells, serve the scallops in shallow bowls). Place 3 large scallops or 1 jumbo in each shell.
• Meanwhile, gently reheat the sauce. Remove from the heat, add the caviar, and stir until the caviar is just heated through, about 45 seconds. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the sauce, add the chives, and season with pepper. Spoon the sauce over the scallops, making sure the caviar is evenly distributed. Serve immediately.

BUTTER POACHED STURGEON

Steps:

• Whisk together shallots, vanilla bean, bay leaf, salt and stock and bring to simmer. Slowly whisk in butter and warm to 145 degrees F. Place sturgeon in butter and make sure butter remains at 145 degrees F. Poach for 12 minutes. Remove from liquid and garnish with watercress, onions, and capers.

CURRIED SCALLOPS WITH CUCUMBER SAUCE AND SALMON PEARLS

Steps:

• With a paring knife, remove the skin from the outside of the cucumber. Coarsely chop the skin. Discard the remaining cucumber or reserve for another use. In a blender, puree the cucumber, parsley, and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Add the egg yolks and sugar and blend for 30 seconds to combine. With the blender running, add the oils in a slow steady stream to form an emulsion. Season, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Season the scallops with salt and pepper and set aside. Place the curry powder in a small saute pan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 30 seconds or just until you can really smell the curry. Immediately remove from the pan and place in a shallow bowl or plate. Add the flour and mix well. Dredge the scallops in the curry mixture, shaking off any excess. Set aside on a clean plate.
• Heat a large saute pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the peanut oil and heat just to smoking. Add the scallops and saute for 30 seconds. Turn the scallops and add the butter and saute for an additional 30 seconds on the second side. Remove from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Place a small pile of watercress on 6 plates. Top the watercress with a scallop shell. Place some sauce in each scallop shell. Top with 1 scallop. Garnish with 1 tablespoon salmon caviar and chive flowers.