Cedar Smoked Scallops With Cauliflower-Brown Butter Soup
8-10 scallops (very large), cleaned
2 ounces clarified butter
1 tablespoon sea salt, finely crushed
1/4 ounce cedar wood shavings
Toss the scallops in clarified butter and season with the sea salt. In a hot sauté pan, quickly sear one side of the scallops. Place the scallops, seared side up, in a hot smoker* with cedar shavings. Smoke for two minutes. (Alternatively, in a grill you may put the shavings on top of charcoal and once the flames die, put on the scallops and close the lid.) Serve 8
* Home version available through Cookworks in Dallas.
Soup
1 ounce canola oil
1 pound yellow onions, rough chopped
4 ounces shallots, peeled and chopped
1 ounce garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 cup white wine
1/4 ounce black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 pounds cauliflower, rough chopped
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart heavy cream
1 pound butter, browned
salt and pepper to taste
In a large sauce pot over medium heat, combine canola oil, onions, shallots, and garlic. Sauté until onions become translucent and vegetables become soft. Add the black peppercorns and bay leaves. Deglaze with white wine and reduce by half. Add cauliflower, chicken stock, and heavy cream. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the cauliflower is very soft. Remove bay leaves and pour mixture into a blender with browned butter and purée until smooth. Season purée with salt and pepper to taste. Pass purée through a fine mesh strainer or chinois. Serve 8
Garnishes
8 baby portobellos, stems and gills removed
6 ounces canola oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 ounce white truffle oil
1/4 ounce thyme, chopped, no stems
1/4 ounce basil, chopped, no stems
1/4 ounce parsley, chopped, no stems
1 ounce garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 pound baby spinach, cleaned, no stems
5 ounces prosciutto, shaved
Mushrooms: Toss the mushrooms in 2 ounces of canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Sear the mushrooms in a large sauté pan until the caps are golden and slightly crisp. Reduce heat and toss occasionally until fully cooked. When mushrooms are fully cooked, add truffle oil and herbs to the sauté pan and toss briskly. Remove from heat.
Spinach: Place four ounces of room temperature canola oil and the shaved garlic in a sauté pan over medium heat. After approximately 4 minutes, the garlic will begin to float and become golden brown. At this point pour off 3 1/2 ounces of the oil. Reserve for later use; makes great vinaigrette. Add spinach to the sauté pan with the toasted garlic and cook over medium heat, tossing continuously, until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
Prosciutto di Parma: In sauté pan or griddle, lay the slices of prosciutto di Parma Italian ham flat and sear. Once crisp on the first side, turn over and crisp the second side. Remove ham and cool. Julienne with a sharp knife.
To arrange: This is a stacked presentation. Place one mushroom in the center of each bowl and top with spinach. Balance one scallop on the spinach and garnish with the strips of prosciutto. Pour soup carefully around the stacked elements, in the kitchen or tableside.
Recipe from the Dallas Wine and Food Festival featured in “Taste of the Town” Texas Monthly [April 2002].
