I love this dish for a couple of reasons - firstly - well it is seafood, and I just love seafood so there's that! Secondly - because it is quick, and easy to make!
Growing up in Darwin, we always had seafood available - not a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, but always seafood! My family was and still are pretty mad fishermen, so I was always happy to pitch in and clean the spoils of their catch when they got back from a long day out in the creeks! Mud crab is a favourite - but I will save those crab stories for another post.
Anyway - Scallops! This recipe can be prepped for ahead of time and is great if you want to wow your friends with your finesse and skills.
Scallops take less than minutes to cook, so that is the very last thing to do just before serving - and here is how I made this dish - It was quite delicious.
You will need:
Scallops - cleaned and roe off, set aside until right before you want to serve them.
Pumpkin - as much as you want - no such thing as too much pumpkin roasting!
A Good Quality Olive Oil - I use Cobram Estate Robust ( the dark green one) because I love the strong flavour it brings - and be generous with it, so you know it is there!
Mushrooms and Vegetables of your liking - I used Enoki and some finely sliced cauliflower in this version - but you do you-
A pickling mix - salt/sugar/vinegar and some aromatics of your choosing - star anise, coriander seeds
Saffron Tuille - see below for my recipe!
A smoking gun with wood chips of your choice
Saffron Tuile:
10g flour, 20g oil, 80g water, pinch salt, pinch saffron, 3g paprika
Combine flour and salt - then set aside
Mix water, saffron and paprika, then add to flour mix, then add the oil
Using a non stick pan, cook over medium heat until coral shape forms and then gently remove from pan and make more!
Smoked pumkin puree
I like to roast the pumpkin before making it into a puree - I love the flavour that comes out when it is cooked like that.
Just chop the pumpkin up - skin off, and toss with olive oil and salt, and into a hot oven for about 30 mins - depending on how large you have chopped them. The larger they are, the longer it will take to cook. - you want them to be brown, and soft and caramelised!
Once cooked, add them to your blender/Thermomix and blitz up with some butter and seasoning - and a splash of cream - lots of butter will make it smooth and creamy, so don't be shy with it! when it is smooth and creamy, pass through a mesh drum sieve and it will go to the next level - trust me on that one!
If you are choosing to smoke the puree - just cover with glad wrap, and attach the smoking tube to the bowl and cover - leave as long as 30 minutes and add more if you feel it needs it - but sometimes less is more ( thanks Gordon for that tip that will never leave my brain!)
Now plate up and enjoy! Don't forget to share your versions - by tagging me in your posts!
Happy Summer and Cheers to the best 2019
Jo