Scallops With Cep Compote Chestnuts Food

SCALLOPS WITH CEP COMPOTE & CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Heat half the butter in a medium saucepan and sweat the onion and garlic for 5 mins. Meanwhile, remove the stalks of the ceps from the heads, cut them into chunks, cut the heads in half and set aside. Stir the chopped stalks in with the onions, raise the heat and fry for 2 mins until coloured. Pour in the wine and reduce by half. Add the chestnuts, 2 sprigs thyme and 400ml/14fl oz of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 40 mins.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Put in the cep heads, cut side down, around the outside, followed by the scallops in the centre. Fry over a high heat for 1 min each side until golden. Turn over and fry for 2 mins more. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves, season if you want and turn off the heat.
• Remove the thyme and stir in the second half of the butter. Spoon the compote into the four deep plates and top with the scallops and fried ceps.

SAUTEED SCALLOPS WITH FENNEL COMPOTE IN CURRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Make compote:
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add fennel; sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add stock, sugar and lemon. Simmer until fennel is very tender and mixture is thick, stirring often, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead; chill.)
• Make sauce:
• Boil first 6 ingredients in medium saucepan until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Add cream; boil until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Strain sauce into small saucepan. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Gradually add 5 tablespoons butter, whisking just until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and sauté until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
• Rewarm fennel. Divide among 6 plates. Surround with scallops. Spoon sauce around scallops.

SCALLOPS WITH BACON AND WATER CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Wrap each piece of bacon around a scallop half and water chestnut half, and skewer them, allowing 4 bacon-wrapped portions per stick.
• Preheat the broiler. Broil the scallops for 3-4 minutes, turning over once.
• Meanwhile, make the saffron butter. In a small, heavy-based frying pan heat together the butter, lemon, vinegar, saffron and white wine. Mix in the anchovy essence and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Divide the salad leaves among 4 serving plates and top each plate with a freshly cooked skewer of scallops. Drizzle the saffron butter over the scallops, sprinkle with chives and serve at once.