James Budross Lobster And Scallops With Beurre Blanc Food

JAMES BUDROS'S LOBSTER AND SCALLOPS WITH BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Drop the lobsters into boiling water, cover closely and cook about 10 minutes. Drain.
• Trim off the tough ends of each endive and trim away any brown spots. Cut each endive crosswise in half. Cut each half lengthwise into thin slices. Cut the slices into very thin julienne strips. There should be about four cups.
• Trim off the ends of the leek or leeks. Cut the leeks crosswise, green part and all, into two-inch lengths. Cut each length into very thin julienne strips. There should be about four and one-half cups.
• Heat four tablespoons of the butter in a heavy skillet and add the leeks. Cook, stirring, about 10 minutes. Add the endive, stirring to blend. Add the salt and pepper. Cover closely and cook, stirring occasionally, about three minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the scallops in a small skillet and add the wine. Bring to the boil and cook, stirring occasionally, about one minute. Drain the scallops, reserving the cooking liquid. There should be about one-quarter cup.
• Heat one tablespoon of butter and add the shallots. Add the vinegar, and cook until almost reduced. Add the reserved scallop cooking liquid. Cook until liquid almost evaporates. Add the cream, salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. Cook down until reduced almost by half. Add the remaining eight tablespoons butter, a little at a time, to the sauce, stirring with a wire whisk.
• Pull apart and crack the lobsters, removing the meat from the tails and claws. Cut the meat into neat, bite-size cubes.
• When ready to serve, transfer the hot endive and leek mixture to a warm serving dish. Arrange the lobster pieces over the center of the vegetables. Arrange the scallops around the lobster meat. Spoon the sauce equally over the scallops and lobster meat. You may garnish the top of this with the tip of the lobster heads, arranging them beak to beak. Serve on six warm dinner plates. Top each serving with a teaspoon of caviar.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TOMATO BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Make beurre blanc: Soak tomatoes in warm water until softened, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and pat dry, then mince. Stir together tomatoes, butter, and salt, then form into an 8-inch log on a sheet of plastic wrap and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour. Cut tomato butter into 12 equal pieces.
• Cook shallot in 1 piece of tomato butter (keep remaining butter chilled) in a small heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining cold tomato butter 1 piece at a time, adding each piece before previous one has completely melted and lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool mixture (sauce should not get hot enough to separate). Whisk in water and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer beurre blanc to a bowl and keep warm, covered, in a larger bowl of warm water.
• Sauté scallops: Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear 6 to 8 scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter as cooked and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Sear remaining scallops in same manner, wiping out skillet and adding about 1 teaspoon oil between batches.
• Spoon 3 tablespoons beurre blanc onto each of 6 plates, then top with scallops.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH BEURRE BLANC SAUCE

Steps:

• Boil first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10 minutes.
• Add cream; reduce heat to low.
• Add butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until just melted before adding more.
• Strain sauce, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
• Return sauce to pan.
• Season with salt and white pepper.
• Place pan in skillet of warm water.
• Sprinkle scallops with salt and white pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add scallops; cook until golden brown and just opaque in center, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.
• Divide scallops among plates.
• Top with sauce and chives.
• Makes 6 first-course or 4 main-course servings.

LOBSTER WITH BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water. Add salt. Bring to a boil. Add lobsters, and cook until bright red and almost cooked through, 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate using tongs, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut each in half lengthwise using a knife or kitchen s hears. Remove head sac, green tomalley, intestine, and any coral; transfer lobsters to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bring white wine, orange juice, shallot, and peppercorns to a boil in a medium skillet over high heat. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Strain mixture; return liquid to skillet (you should have about 3 tablespoons). Reduce heat to low. Whisk in butter; 1 tablespoon at a time, until thick and smooth. Remove from heat.
• Whisk cream until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into beurre blanc. Season with salt, white pepper, and lemon juice.
• Heat broiler. Spoon half the beurre blanc over lobsters. Scatter lemons around lobsters. Broil until beurre blanc is bubbling and lobsters are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven. Spoon remaining beurre blanc over lobsters. Serve with lemons.

LOBSTERS WITH BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Fill a large pot two-thirds full with water. Add 1/4 cup salt. Bring to a boil. Add lobsters, and cook until bright red and almost cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate using tongs, and let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut each in half lengthwise using a knife or kitchen shears. Remove head sac, green tomalley, intestine, and any coral; transfer lobsters to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bring white wine, orange juice, shallot, and peppercorns to a boil in a medium skillet over high heat. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Strain mixture; return liquid to skillet (you should have about 3 tablespoons). Reduce heat to low. Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until thick and smooth. Remove from heat.
• Whisk cream until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into beurre blanc. Season with salt, white pepper, and lemon juice.
• Heat broiler. Spoon half the beurre blanc over lobsters. Scatter lemons around lobsters. Broil until beurre blanc is bubbling and lobsters are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven. Spoon remaining beurre blanc over lobsters. Serve with lemons.

COQUILLE ST. JACQUES (SCALLOPS WITH BEURRE BLANC)

Steps:

• Marinate scallops in vermouth at least 15 minutes (or up to an hour); In a medium saucepan large enough to hold a small heavy saucepan, boil some water and set aside.
• In that small heavy saucepan, simmer shallot in vinegar and wine until liquid is reduced to approximately 1T; Remove from heat and add water; Reduce heat to low and cook, adding 6T butter 1T at a time; whisking in each new piece before the previous one has melted completely (occasionally lift pan from heat to cool mixture); Sauce should never liquify, it should be similar to a thin hollandaise; remove from heat and whisk in herbs, and salt and pepper to taste; Cover and keep warm in pan of hot water.
• Drain scallops and pat dry.
• Season scallops with salt and pepper; Heat 1 T butter and 1 T olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over moderate heat, until foam subsides; saute half of the scallops, turning once until just cooked through (approx 4 minutes total); wipe out skillet and saute the other half of the scallops in remaining butter/olive oil mixture.
• Serve scallops with beurre blanc.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH GRAPEFRUIT BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• In a skillet, cook the shallots in 8 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat, stirring consistently until the shallots are golden - about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and grapefruit juice and cook over moderate heat until liquid is syrupy and reduced - about 5 minutes. Add cream, salt, pepper and boil for 1 minute (being careful you don't scald the cream). Reduce heat to low and add a few tablespoons of butter, whisking constantly. Add remaining butter pieces, a few at a time, whisking constantly and adding new pieces before the previous ones have completely liquefied. Lift the pan off the heat occasionally to cool down the mixture. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Pull off and discard any muscle tabs still attached to the scallops. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper.
• In a large, heavy-duty nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallops (in batches if necessary to keep them from crowding), cook until they are golden brown on both sides and almost firm to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes per side. If you have an oil splatter screen, it would be a good idea to use it while cooking the scallops - but it's not nessicary.
• Add the shallot sauce to the scallops, and cook briefly, shaking the pan, until the sauce is reheated. Serve immediately and sprinkle with chives if using.