Scallops With Leeks And Lemon Butter Sauce Recipes

SCALLOPS WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• Remove the scallops from their shells, or ask your fishmonger to do this. Separate the white flesh from the corals, and detach the hard skin around the white and the tiny black sack from the coral. Wash clean under a running tap. Halve the whites horizontally. Leave to dry off on some paper towels.
• Wash the leeks and discard the green parts. Slice the white stems lengthwise into narrow strips about 2 inches long. Place in a saucepan with 1-ounce of the butter, a pinch of salt and 8 tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Keep hot.
• In another pan melt the rest of the butter and then gently cook the shallots until they are soft. Add the wine, vermouth and scallops with their corals. Bring just to the boiling point, then turn the heat very low and simmer for exactly 2 minutes, or less if the scallops are small.
• Remove the leeks from their liquid using a slotted spoon and place in the heated dish. With the same spoon place the scallops on top. Add the leek juice to the scallop juice and boil until the liquid is reduced to 8 tablespoons. Pour in the cream, return to the boil and bubble for a moment or two. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the scallops. Scatter with the chopped parsley.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH LEEKS & LEMON CHILLI BUTTER

Steps:

• For the butter, mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, then beat well with a wooden spoon until there are no lumps of butter left. Spoon onto a large sheet of cling film, then wrap tightly in a sausage shape. Chill until firm (or put in the freezer if you're short of time).
• Set up a pan with a steamer or suspend a heatproof colander over the top of a pan. Cut the leeks in half lengthways, then slice into long strips, about the thickness of tagliatelle. Cover, then steam for 6 mins until tender, with no signs of squeakiness. Season, then set aside.
• Dry the scallops on kitchen paper and season. Heat a heavy-based pan, then add the oil. Once hot, add the scallops, keeping them close together - this helps the sides to stay straight and tall rather than sagging. Sizzle for 2 mins until caramelised and you can see the heat creeping up the outside. Turn over with a palette knife, then fry for 1 min more. Take off the heat, then add a few good slices of the butter to the pan, spooning over the scallops as it melts.
• To serve, wind a nest of warm leeks in the centre of 4 plates, top each with 3 scallops, spoon over the buttery sauce (it looks smart trickled around the plate), then sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Squeeze over a little lemon juice before you tuck in.