Seared Scallops with Crab Gratin & Buerre Blanc
Make this sophisticated and tasty seafood dish.
Ingredients
- 150 g crab meat (as prepared below or bought at fish mongers)
- 50 g parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1 dtsp fresh oregano (chopped)
- 4 slices pancetta (finely diced)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 12 large queen scallops
- beurre blanc
- 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 tblsp white wine vinegar
- 4 tblsp white wine
- 6 tblsp water (or crab stock from cooking crabs)
- 2 tblsp cream
- 1 dstsp chopped chives
- 175 g unsalted butter (cut into pieces)
- 1 tblsp pernod
- for the crabmeat
- 2 large brown crabs (about 1 kg each)
- 1 large onion peeled and quartered
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 3 sticks of celery
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small bunch of thyme
- 1 tblsp black peppercorns
- 50 g salt
- large pot of water
Method
- If making your own crabmeat, place the salt into the pot of water, add in the onion, carrot, celery, lemon, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns.
- Bring to the boil then plunge in the crabs.
- Bring back to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cooked crabs and cook down in iced water and leave to cool completely.
- Remove the claws & legs open with the back of a chefs knife, remove all the white meat and make sure you pick out any small bits of shell.
- Detach the body of the crab from the back shell by inserting the knife between them and giving it a firm twist.
- Remove the ‘body’ and discard the inedible feathery-looking gills attached to either side of the body.
- Now cut the body section into quarters with your knife and extract all the meat and place into bowl.
- Cook the pancetta on a hot pan, add in the oregano and black pepper.
- Place in a bowl with the crabmeat you are using and the Parmesan and set aside until later.
- To make the beurre blanc, put the shallots, vinegar, wine and stock liquid (from the crab cooking, if shop bought, just use some water) in a small pan and bring to the boil and simmer until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the cream and reduce the sauce a little, then remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter a little at a time until it has all amalgamated.
- Add chives and some Pernod to taste and keep warm.
- Separate the scallop corals from the whites.
- Brush a heavy-based frying pan or a griddle a little olive oil and heat over high heat until it is smoking.
- Place the scallops and corals on the pan, sear for 20 -30 seconds and turn them over.
- Leave for another 20 seconds remove immediately.
- Chop the corals into small pieces and add to the gratin mixture.
- Place a little mound of crab mixture on of each scallop and flash under a hot grill for about one minute.
- Pour a little buerre blanc onto a dish (or scallop shell) and place 3 scallops on top of it and serve hot, with a little salad garnish.
