. . . With Spinach-Speck Salad, Brown Butter, and Pine Nut Crema.
Recipe from Bolla, Dallas
1/4 cup brown butter
12 sea scallops
2 cups spinach salad
1 cup red-wine vinaigrette (warm)
1 cup pine nut crema
Seared Sea Scallops
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
12 scallops, dry packed, U10, muscle removed
salt to taste
1/2 cup Wondra flour
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a medium non-stick skillet over high heat, add the olive oil and butter. Season the scallop on all sides with salt and dredge scallop in flour. Sear the scallops on each side in the oil-butter mixture over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Reserve warm for assembly.
Brown Butter
10 pounds unsalted butter
Place butter into a large pot. Over high heat, whisk the butter until completely melted and it starts to foam (10 to 15 minutes). Pour the butter into a large bowl. Place the bowl into an ice bath and chill as quickly as possible. Strain the melted liquid butter, reserving both liquid and solid caramelized milk solids. Place the caramelized milk solids into a bowl and add just enough melted liquid butter to form a wet paste. Reserve the wet paste for assembly. Save the melted butter for another use. Note: Will yield more than needed.
Spinach Salad
4 ounces baby spinach, picked and cleaned
1/2 cup speck, diced small and rendered crisp
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1/2 cup red-wine vinaigrette
salt to taste
Place the spinach in a large bowl. In a saucepan, add the speck and pine nuts. Add the red-wine vinaigrette and bring to a boil. Pour over the spinach and toss quickly. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately.
Red-Wine Vinaigrette
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
3 tablespoons black truffle peelings
1/2 cup bacon fat
1/4 cup olive oil
salt to taste
Place the vinegar, shallots and truffles into a high speed blender. Purée on high and slowly add in the bacon fat until combined. Add the olive oil and season with salt to taste.
Pine Nut Crema
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
In a large mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until it forms medium stiff peaks. Fold in the toasted pine nuts and reserve cold for assembly.
Assembly
On four large salad or appetizer plates, paint the brown butter across the plate. Slice each scallop in half and stack with one piece of scallop mousse. Place the scallop stacks in a circle in the center of the plate. Place the spinach salad next to the scallops. Place a small dollop of pine nut crema on top of the salad and serve.
This recipe was not tested by Texas Monthly.
