Fresh orange juice substitutes for white wine in this beurre blanc sauce. Replacing some of the butter with cream stabilizes the emulsion and makes it lighter on the palate.
In France, scallops are known as coquille saint-jacques and are most often sold alive, in their shells. They are known as King Scallops in North America and other parts of the world. If you are not able to buy scallops in the shell and are buying them shucked, let your eyes and nose be a guide to freshness. Look for scallops that are ivory colored and smell of the ocean, anything that is bright white has been soaked in brine. Scallops should be cooked quickly and are best pan-seared for a minute or two on either side. In Europe the orange coral or roe is eaten but in the US it is often discarded.
The technique used to caramelize the fennel in this recipe is similar to the method the French use for glazing all types of vegetables. The fennel is cooked in a small amount of butter, water, sugar and salt while covered with a lid made of parchment paper. The paper lid slows down the rate of evaporation but doesn’t prevent it completely. The idea is that by the time the water has evaporated the vegetables will be perfectly cooked and the butter and sugar have created a syrup that forms a glaze. It is not as tricky as it sounds, since you can monitor the cooking and adjust the amount of liquid if necessary. Glazed vegetables in France are generally only slightly colored, for this recipe the fennel should be cooked until golden and evenly caramalized.
Seared Scallops with Orange-Ginger Sauce and Caramelized Fennel
Ingredients
- Serves 4
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
- 2 heads of fennel
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 head of radicchio, finely shredded
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- Sauce:
- 1 shallot, minced
- ½ clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, minced or grated
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- ½ cup (60 g) heavy cream
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) cold butter, cut into pieces
- Salt and Pepper
- Juice of 1 lime
- A handful of parsley or basil or a combination of both
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- Scallops:
- 12 Sea Scallops
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- To cook the fennel, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Season the fennel with salt and pepper. When the butter begins to foam, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the base of the pan and place the fennel on top in a single layer. Add two tablespoons of water and the turn down the heat. Cover with a parchment paper. Cook, turning occasionally and adding more water if necessary, until the fennel is tender when pierced with a knife and evenly colored, about 15 minutes. Keep warm.
- To make the sauce, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan. Add the shallot, garlic and ginger. Cook 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the orange juice and simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the cream, bring to a simmer and let it reduce slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and swirl in the butter pieces a few at a time until all is incorporated. Keep the sauce warm.
- To cook the scallops, heat the butter in a large skillet until it begins to foam. Season the scallops, place them in the skillet and sear on one side until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and turn the scallops over to lightly cook the other side.
- To serve, strain the sauce into a small saucepan, add the limejuice to taste and adjust the seasoning, keep warm. Reheat the fennel, when warm through, place two slices on individual serving plates. Add the shredded radicchio to the still warm fennel pan, briefly sauté until lightly wilted, about 1 minute. Place three scallops on top of the fennel, spoon over the sauce and garnish with the sautéed radicchio and herbs.
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