Scallop \"flowers\" with provencale vegetables

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
4 larges Artichokes
½ Lemon
2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
1 cup Water
½ cup White Wine Vinegar
1½ teaspoon Black Peppercorns; crushed
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme; or
1 pinch Dried Thyme; crumbled
1 tablespoon Shallot; finely chopped
⅓ cup Olive Oil
Olive Oil
12 larges Sea Scallops; each cut horizontally into 1/4\" slices
½ pounds Plum Tomatoes
1 large Zucchini
1 large Yellow Summer Squash
¼ cup Olive Oil
2 tablespoons Fresh Basil; sliced
1 tablespoon Garlic; minced
Salt
Pepper
½ cup Dry White Wine
Salt
2 tablespoons Fresh Basil; sliced
Fresh Chives; chopped

Directions

ARTICHOKES AND VINAIGRETTE

SCALLOPS

VEGETABLES

ASSEMBLY

For artichokes, cut stem off 1 artichoke and rub exposed area with cut side of lemon. Starting at base, bend back each dark green leaf and snap off. Place leaves in a bowl of cold water acidulated with 2 tb lemon juice. Cut off tight cone of tender yellow leaves above heart of artichoke and reserve for vinaigrette. Using a small knife, scoop out and discard choke. Trim off all dark areas of the heart.

Add artichoke heart to bowl of water with artichoke leaves. Repeat with remaining artichokes, reserving 40 dark green leaves.

Coarsely chop enough reserved yellow artichoke leaves to measure 1 cup; discard any remaining yellow leaves. Combine chopped leaves with 1 cup water, vinegar, peppercorns and thyme in a medium saucepan.

Bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced to ¼ cup, about 10 minutes.

Strain liquid through sieve into a small bowl, pressing on solids with back of a spoon. Mix in shallot. Gradually whisk in ⅓ cup oil.

Cover vinaigrette. (Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Let vinaigrette stand at room temperature. Refrigerate dark green artichoke leaves and hearts in bowl of acidulated water.) For scallops, line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Lightly oil parchment. Place 4" diameter bottomless tartlet mold or cookie cutter with 1½" high sides on parchment. Overlap enough scallop slices inside ring to just cover bottom. Remove tartlet mold and place on another part of cookie sheet. Repeat 3 more times, forming 4 scallop rounds. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead.)

For vegetables, blanch tomatoes in a medium saucepan of boiling water for 20 seconds. Drain and cool slightly. Peel, seed and chop tomatoes. Cut zucchini and summer squash crosswise in half. Cut skin off zucchini and summer squash in ¼" thick strips. Cut skin into ¼" dice, reserve remainder of zucchini and squash for another use.

(Can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead. Refrigerate tomatoes and squash separately.)

Remove artichoke hearts from water using a slotted spoon. Cut into ¼" dice. Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add basil and garlic and saute 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium low. Add diced artichokes and cook until tender, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Add diced zucchini and summer squash and saute 2 minutes.

Mix in tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. (Can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) For assembly, preheat oven to 350øF. Spoon 2 tb wine over each scallop round. Season with salt. Bake until scallops are opaque, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Drain artichoke leaves and add to boiling water. Cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain. Rewarm diced vegetables in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. Mix in basil. Place 4" tartlet mold in center of a large plate. Spoon ¼ of vegetable mixture into center and spread into 4" round using the back of a spoon. Remove mold.

Repeat on 3 more plates with remaining vegetable mixture.

Slide a wide metal spatula under 1 scallop round. Gently set atop 1 vegetable round. Repeat with remaining scallop rounds. Arrange artichoke leaves decoratively around base of each round, forming a flower pattern. Spoon vinaigrette over scallops and artichoke leaves.

Sprinkle with chives.

Source: Gourmet Magazine Typed by Katherine Smith Kook-Net: The Shadow Zone IV - Stinson Beach, CA

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