3.09 Seared Scallops w/ Saffron Risotto & Salsa –
Advanced – Rice & Pasta
Every so often I get into a “cheffy” mood, and end up
with recipes like this. I’m not really a seafood person, but occasionally I
make exceptions.
This dish can either be a starter for 4 people, or a main
for 2 people.
PART A – TOMATO SALSA
Ingredients:
250g baby Roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced finely
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
It might seem odd to start with the quickest and easiest
element. I have presented this recipe in order of how each component should be
made. The salsa needs time to sit and allow the flavours to mingle. The risotto
takes approx. 30 minutes from beginning to end. The scallops take around 5
minutes altogether.
This is a very basic salsa which is just there to add
some colour and acidity. I use baby Roma tomatoes mainly because it’s easier to
cut something into small pieces if it’s already small to start with, but they
also can sometimes have a bit more flavour than regular Roma tomatoes. You can
also use cherry or grape tomatoes.
Method:
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Cover, and set aside until needed. (How’s that for
Advanced?!)
PART A – SAFFRON RISOTTO
Ingredients:
1 leek, cleaned, trimmed and sliced into crescents
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 ½ cups Arborio rice
800ml vegetable stock, warm
100ml dry sherry
½ tsp saffron threads (or a good pinch)
¼ cup grated parmesan
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 tbsp cream
Zest of ½ lemon
30g butter
Salt and pepper
Unlike most of my recipes, this is fairly traditional. It
is fairly adaptable, just change the type of stock and experiment with
different herbs and spices. Be warned, there is quite a lot of stirring
involved!
Leeks have a milder flavour than onions, and they take
less time to soften. If you want to swap the leeks for onions, there should be
no real issue.
I use Arborio rice as it’s more readily available, but
you can use any type of risotto rice you like (i.e. Carnaroli, etc.).
The stock can be fresh, powder, tablet, concentrate, out
of a carton, it doesn’t matter to me. It just needs to be warm so it doesn’t
change the temperature too much when you add it to the rice.
Sherry provides a deeper flavour than wine, but if you
prefer to use white wine instead, go for it.
If you cannot find saffron threads… well I’m not really
sure why you’d make this recipe. I’ve never used imitation saffron, but as far
as I know it’s just a colour and not a flavour.
Method:
1. Add the saffron threads to the sherry and stir
together, then place aside until needed. (This allows the colour to begin to
seep out.)
2. In a pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and fry
the leek and garlic with a pinch of salt until soft.
3. Add the rice to the pan and stir until it is coated in
the butter.
4. Add the sherry and saffron threads and stir until mostly
evaporated. (The colour does not change right away, but gradually changes as
you continue with the recipe.)
5. Turn the pan down to medium-low and add a splash or
ladle full of stock.
6. Stir the pot gently until the liquid has has almost all
evaporated, then add another splash/ladle full of stock. (This will take 3-5
minutes.)
7. Repeat Step 6 until the last of the stock is gone.
(Should take approx. 20-25 minutes for this to happen.)
8. Test a piece of rice to check whether it is cooked to
your desired consistency. If necessary, add ½ cup of boiling water and stir
until almost evaporated. (As with pasta, the grains of rice in a traditional
risotto are meant to be al dente,
which basically means they should still have a bit of bite – as a matter of face the translation of
al dente is “to the tooth”. If you
want your rice completely soft, then you’ll need to add more liquid and cook it
for longer.)
9. In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the egg yolk,
cream, parmesan, lemon zest and a pinch of pepper. (You can also add a pinch of
salt if you like, but the stock has probably added enough salt already.)
10. Stir the egg mixture through the risotto until
combined, then remove it from the heat, cover, and place it aside until
assembling. (I wouldn’t recommend leaving it for more than 5 minutes.)
PART C – SEARED SPICED SCALLOPS
Ingredients:
12 large scallops, roe removed
50g unsalted butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sumac
Cayenne Pepper
Salt
You can leave the roe on the scallops if you must, but it
sort of grosses me out for some reason. Plus it wouldn’t look right with the
way I serve it.
Sumac, for those that are still unfamiliar with it, is a
middle-eastern spice that adds a hint of citrus tang. It goes really well with
seafood and chicken.
I like the spice of cayenne with seafood also, but it can
be very potent, so use as little or as much as you like. You can replace it
with regular white or black pepper if you’re a bit unsure.
Method:
1. Rinse the scallops and pat dry on some kitchen towel.
2. Sprinkle some sumac, cayenne pepper and salt over the
scallops. (However much or little is completely up to you. You don’t have to
add any if you don’t want to.)
3. Heat the butter and oil in a pan over medium-high heat
until bubbling.
4. Place the scallops into the bubbling butter/oil and
fry for 30-45 seconds on each side, occasionally spooning some of the
butter/oil over the top of each scallop.
5. Remove the scallops from the pan, and slice in half
through the side. (You should now have 24 thin discs of scallop.)
6. Assemble the dish right away.
PART D - ASSEMBLING THE DISH
Ingredients:
Baby basil leaves (optional)
When I say that the basil is optional, I kind of really mean it's totally necessary! Although it doesn't really add anything more that a bit of flavour and aesthetic appeal.
I suppose I’m being a bit fussy with this, but that’s
what Advanced recipes are all about, right?
You could just throw it all on a plate, but if you’re
already come this far…
Method:
1. Using a couple of stacked egg rings (or something
similar), place a circle of risotto in the middle of each plate. (Not too
little, not too much.)
2. Leave the rings in place and arrange 5-6 of the seared
scallop halves on top of the risotto in a circle, overlapping slightly.
3. Remove the egg ring gently, so the risotto and
scallops stay in place.
4. Drizzle some salsa around the outside of the risotto, and
then a small amount on top of the scallops.
5. Place a basil leaf on top of the salsa in the centre
of the scallops.
6. Serve immediately.
As I said, serves 2-4 people depending on whether
it is a starter or a main.
