Scallops on Spinach with Verjuice Butter Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 24 Raw scallops
- 50g Unsalted butter
- 250g Baby spinach leaves
- To taste salt flakes
- To taste Freshly ground black pepper
- To taste Nutmeg
- 1/2 Lime juice and rind
- 1 Lemon rind
Sauce
- 4 Golden shallots
- To taste Salt flakes
- 2 tbspn Cream
- 250g Unsalted butter
- 1 Lemon
- To taste Freshly ground black pepper
First, make the sauce. Cook the golden shallots and Verjuice with salt in a small saucepan over high heat until reduced and syrupy. To help stabilize the sauce add the cream, gently warm and then gradually whisk in the butter, maintaining a medium-high heat through the cooking, but do not bring to the boil. Finish the sauce with lemon juice and adjust the seasoning. Set aside in a warm place.
With a paring knife trim the scallops. Heat 30 grams of the butter in a saucepan until just brown. Add the spinach, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir well. Take out the spinach and place on kitchen paper. Wipe out the pan, and then heat the Olive Oil with the remaining butter. Season the scallops with salt, lime rind and juice, then sear in the pan for a few seconds only on each side and place on kitchen paper.
Divide the spinach evenly between eight warmed plates. Place three scallops on top of the spinach in the middle of each plate, leaning one on the other. Garnish with lemon rind. Pour the sauce around the spinach and grind over some pepper.