Velvet Scallop and Winter Vegetable ‘Nage’
This dish tastes like something that could come from a Michelin-starred restaurant…but it only requires about an hour to make from start to finish—and that’s counting the marinating time. (As an added bonus, it stretches eight scallops to serve four people.)
Velveting Mixture
1 egg white
1 Tbs. white wine
1 Tbs. oil1
heaping Tbs. cornstarch
½ tsp. salt
Nage
8 large scallops (1/3 lb./150 g.), rinsed and drained
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 carrots, finely diced (1 cup)1 medium leek, white part finely diced (1 cup)
½ head fennel or 2 stalks celery, finely diced (1 cup)
¼ cup dry white wine3 to 4 yukon gold or red-skinned (boiling) potatoes, peeled and finely diced
¼ cup tomato purée, optional
sprig fresh thyme
TO MAKE THE VELVETING MIXTURE: Whisk together the egg white white wine, and oil in a small bowl. Whisk in the cornstarch and salt. Cut each scallop into thirds or fourths (depending on the thickness), then halve the scallop disks, and place them in a medium bowl. Toss the scallops with enough of the velvet mixture to coat well. Refrigerate/marinate ½ hour, or overnight. (The rest of the velvet mixture will keep up to 1 week.)
BRING 4 cups of water to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan. Drain the scallops (but do not rinse them), and discard the velveting slurry. Drop the scallops in the barely simmering water, and cook 20 to 30 seconds, or until the scallops turn opaque. Transfer the blanched scallops to a paper towel-lined plate.
STRAIN the scallop cooking water, and set aside. (You should have about 3 cups/700 ml.)
HEAT the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, leek, and fennel, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened. Add the wine and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the potatoes, the tomato purée (if using), the thyme sprig, and the reserved scallop cooking water. Season with salt, cover, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.REMOVE the thyme sprig. Stir in the blanched scallops and reheat gently, if necessary, just before serving.