Scallops with Champagne Cream (Chiarello)

• servings: 4 main course servings

Ingredients

ingredients:

•½ bottle (375 ml) semi-dry sparkling wine or Champagne (see note above)

•1 medium shallot (about 1 ounce or 30 g), minced

•20 fresh sea scallops, cleaned and blotted gently with paper towels

•1 cup (240 ml) fish stock or clam juice

•1½ cups (360 g) heavy cream

•½ teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

•½ teaspoon salt

•4 tablespoons (½ stick; 60 g) high-quality unsalted butter, cut into cubes and well-chilled

•⅛ cup minced fresh chervil (or any other herb you like; dill is also good)

for cooking the scallops:

•1 tablespoon butter

•½ tablespoon olive oil

Directions

how to make it:

1In a small to medium saucepan, bring the wine and shallots to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and let the wine boil, reducing for about 25-30 minutes or until there’s almost no liquid left at all. Make sure to stay close by during the final few minutes to avoid burning.

2In the meantime, rinse the scallops well, and drain. Place them on a plate lined with paper towels. Drying the scallops is important if you want them to sear nicely.

3Add the fish stock or clam juice to the wine mixture, and bring to the boil again over medium heat. Let the mixture boil for about 5-6 minutes, skimming as necessary.

4Remove the saucepan from the heat, and slowly whisk in the cream. Bring this mixture back to the boil, and continue reducing (boiling) for about 15 minutes, whisking from time to time.

5Add the herbs and leave the saucepan in a warm place.

6Melt the tablespoon of butter in a wide skillet or non-stick pan, or two of them if needed, and when it starts to foam, add the oil. Swirl the fats around the pan, return to heat for about 1 minute, and add the scallops, spacing them generously.

7After about 3 minutes, check the underside of a scallop – if it is nicely browned, you can turn over all the scallops quickly. Remove the skillet from the heat source entirely, cover the pan well, and let the scallops sit while you finish the sauce.

8In the meantime, add the lemon juice and salt to the sauce.

9Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the butter cubes a few at a time, whisking well as you go.

10Add the herbs to the sauce and stir.

11Spoon the sauce first onto slightly warmed plates, and then place 5 scallops on each plate. If you like, garnish with extra herbs.