Scallops Poached In Achiote Sauce Food

POACHED ACHIOTE SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Saute the onions with the salt until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and achiote paste and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to avoid scorching. Add the tomato paste and pour in the fish stock or clam juice and boil 5 minutes longer. Stir in the pepper and vinegar and remove from the heat.
• Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree. Pass through a strainer. The sauce keeps up to 4 days
• To finish, pour the sauce into a large skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the scallops or shrimp, reduce the heat to medium and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Serve over a bed of white rice and garnish with the capers.

ACHIOTE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat melt the butter. Cook the onions until soft and translucent, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato and Achiote paste and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken stock, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring and skimming frequently, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook at end for 2 to 3 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor. Store in refrigerator 2 to 3 days.

SEA SCALLOPS POACHED IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• For 1 1/2 pounds whole scallops. Simmer 1/2 tablespoon minced shallots for 3 minutes with 1/3 cup each of dry white French vermouth and water plus 1/2 teaspoon salt and a small imported bay leaf. Then add the scallops and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, just until lightly springy to the touch. Remove from heat and let cool in the liquid at least 10 minutes, to pick up its flavor. Remove scallops, discard bay leaf, and rapidly boil down liquid until almost syrupy.
• serving suggestions: fines herbes
• Stir fresh minced parsley and/or dill, tarragon or chives into the reduced liquid, and briefly reheat scallops, folding in, if you wish, a few tablespoons of heavy cream.
• provençal-with tomatoes
• Stir 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, juiced, and chopped fresh tomatoes (see box, page 30) and 1 large clove of minced garlic into the reduced liquid. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, then uncover and boil down rapidly to thicken. Season. Fold in the scallops and reheat briefly. Fold in minced parsley or other green herbs and serve.
• Note
• Simmering times for quartered sea scallops and bay scallops, 15 to 30 seconds; for calicos, bring just to the simmer.

POACHED SCALLOPS WITH CAVIAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring the clam juice and heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the butter and whisk to incorporate. Set aside.
• Bring the court-bouillion to a simmer in a pan large enough to accommodate the scallops. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the scallops to the simmering court-bouillon and poach gently until they are cooked just to rare, about 1 1/2 minutes for large scallops, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for jumbo scallops.
• To serve, place a bed of rock salt on each plate and rest a scallop shell on it (if you do not have scallop shells, serve the scallops in shallow bowls). Place 3 large scallops or 1 jumbo in each shell.
• Meanwhile, gently reheat the sauce. Remove from the heat, add the caviar, and stir until the caviar is just heated through, about 45 seconds. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the sauce, add the chives, and season with pepper. Spoon the sauce over the scallops, making sure the caviar is evenly distributed. Serve immediately.

SCALLOPS IN WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Wash and dry scallops. Place scallops in a bowl and cover with wine; add bay leaf and marinate about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, slice mushrooms and set aside. Separate eggs, this recipe only uses the yolks. Beat the yolks slightly.
• Cook the scallops for 15 minutes in the wine over medium-low heat. When done, remove cooked scallops from saucepan and season with salt and pepper; keep warm.
• In the meantime, sauté the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or to desired doneness.
• Bring the marinade/cooking liquid to a boil and add 1/2 teaspoon butter. Slowly whisk in egg yolks to thicken. Season with a little salt and pepper.
• To serve, arrange buttered toast on individual dishes. Top each with scallops and sautéed mushrooms. Spoon wine sauce over top and garnish with parsley and lemon wedge. (The original recipes calls for the bread to be fried in butter, so do that if you wish).