Scallop madeleine amuse

The first episode of this year’s Christmas special! We’re going to begin with the first bite and that’s a lovely savory scallop madeleine. It’s a batter that’s made with the scallops roe and tandoori spices and we’re going to stuff the madeleine with scallop itself. To really bring it to the next level we’re using every single bit of the scallop, so we’re going to make a glaze from the beard. I think it’s definitely one of the best things I made so far.

How to open up the scallops

Always buy hand dived scallops and not scallops that are caught with trawl nets. Not only is this extremely damaging for the sea floor and wildlife, but it also damages the scallop itself and it will be full of sand. Yes it’s a bit cheaper, but hand dived scallops are 100% better on all fronts. Now to open them up insert a fileting knife between the shells on the side and twist the knife to separate the shells slightly. Then put your thumb between the shells to prevent it from closing again. Now press your knife on the flat shell and while continuously giving more pressure cut the scallop off the flat shell. If you don’t give enough pressure there’s a change you waste the scallop meat. Now open them up and remove the flat shell. Clean the flat shells well and keep them for later. We’re going to use them for the presentation. Now to remove the scallops from the deep shell place a spoon next to the little muscle and press it down. Then twist the spoon and scrape the scallop off the shell. If needed gently help it with your hand. Don’t throw anything away. We’ll use it all. Now submerge the scallops in ice water for 15 minutes. This will help them firm up and to clean them. Then remove the roe's from the shells as well. If needed use a knife, but you should just be able to pull them loose. Keep them in your fridge for later. The only thing I’m not using is the dark stomach, because it’s very bitter. Just remove it again by hand or with a knife and throw it away. The remaining beard and other parts you can remove from the shells and transfer into a bowl. We need this for the glaze, so keep it in your fridge for later. Now it has been 15 minutes, so we can take the scallops out of the ice water. Just be sure to check them one by one for any unwanted parts. Then place them on a tray that’s lined with a kitchen paper and place another paper on top. Keep them in your fridge for later.

The scallop filling

4 big	scallops
2 knobs	butter
	chives
	samphire
1	lemon
	black pepper

First season some of the scallops we just cleaned with salt. Then place the butter in a hot frying pan and let it caramelize till it starts to color. Now place the scallops with the salted side down in the butter and pan fry them for 30 seconds. We only want to color them and cook them as little as possible. Then turn them around and base them for 15 seconds. Now place them on a tray and pour the hot butter on top. Let them cool down as fast as possible in your fridge or your freezer.  Once cold place them on your cutting board and cut them first in thin slices and then cut those slices in small cubes. Keep in aside for later. Then finely slice some chives and keep it aside as well. Do the same with some samphire. After that season the chopped scallop with some lemon zest, some of the sliced samphire, the sliced chives and some black pepper. Now gently mix it and give it a final taste for seasoning. Then transfer the scallop tartare on half a sphere mold and spread it evenly. Be sure to press it down as much as possible to prevent any trapped air. I use 10 grams of filling a madeleine. Let it set in your freezer. Once set remove the scallop filling from the mold and keep it in your freezer for later.

The scallop glaze

10	scallop beards
2	shallots
1	bay leaf
10	coriander seeds
10	black peppercorns
2 cloves	garlic
150 g	white wine

Begin by rinsing the scallop beards and other parts till the water is clear. Just drain the water and keep adding fresh cold water till your happy with the result. It needs to look and smell fresh. When that’s the case drain the water once more and let it drain for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile cut the shallots in half and clean them. Then slice them in thin slices. After that pour a drizzle of oil in a hot pan and start pan frying the rinsed scallop parts. It’s going to release a lot of liquid, but that’s okay. Now add the sliced shallot with the bay leaf, the coriander seeds, the black peppers and the garlic that are cut in half. Also add the white wine and let it reduce till almost all the liquid has reduced. Then submerge everything with water and let it simmer for 45 minutes. After that drain the broth and use a ladle or spatula to press out any liquid. Then let it reduce on a medium heat till you’re happy with both the flavor and thickness. It’s going to be super intense and very delicious!

The scallop roe and tandoori butter

10 + 140 g	butter
50 g	scallop roe
2 g	tandoori spice powder
1/2	lemon

This will be the base for the madeleine batter. First melt the 10 grams of butter on a medium high heat. Now add the scallop roe’s with the tandoori spices powder and pan fry it for 2 minutes. Mix it every now and then.  Then turn off the heat and add the zest from half a lemon. Also add the 140 grams of butter and let it marinade for a couple of minutes. After that transfer everything into a blender and blend it till smooth. Now for the madeleine batter the butter needs to be melted, but you could also let it cool down and whip it for a minute or two. You’ll end up with a delicious butter that’s so good on its own as well! If you want to make the butter beforehand, keep it in your fridge for later and melt it once you start on the batter.

The madeleine batter

150 g	whole egg
25 g	sugar
3 g	salt
125 g	melted roe butter
125 g	flour
7 g	baking powder

Begin by mixing the whole egg with the sugar and the salt. Start beating it till it’s a fully mixture. Once fluffy slowly add the melted roe butter. When it’s incorporated pour the flour on a sieve together with the baking powder. Pass it through the sieve and then fold it in the beaten egg. Gently fold it to keep as much air as possible. Then transfer it into a piping bag and keep it in your fridge for later.

The presentation

You can just place the madeleines on a plate or serving tray, but here at Jules Cooking I like to bring things to the next level. So after cleaning the flat shells I drilled the center out of the shell with my column drill. This gave me a super nice disc. Then just sand down the sides with some sanding paper and give it another proper wash. Now I had a slight chance of plans, because I picked these lovely seaweeds and I also still had some left from a previous dish. So I used all these edible seaweeds to create this beautiful presentation. After using them as presentation you could reuse them as well. Just keep it in your fridge for later.

How to finish the madeleine

In a previous recipe I made my own double sided madeleine mold. Click here for more information. Then use a brush to add some melted roe butter in the mold. Be sure it’s evenly spread and then dust some flour on the butter. Now tap out any excess flour and then the molds are ready to go. This is something you could do during prep as well. Then pipe an even layer of the madeleine batter on the bottom and place a frozen scallop filling on top. Give it a little push and cover it completely with the same amount of batter as the bottom. With the batter I made you can make 16 stuffed madeleines. Place the top half on the bottom one and screw them together. Be sure it’s tight otherwise the batter will leak out. Now bake them at 190 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes. After that take them out and let them cool down for 5 minutes before opening the baking tray. Be careful the screws can still be very hot. Then serve the madeleine straight away for the best result. Just look at that beautiful inside, perfectly cooked! As a final step we just need to brush the top with the scallop glaze. You don’t need to reheat it, but if you want to serve it as warm as possible you definitely could. Now they’re ready to be served!

The pairing

For the beginning of the meal I always love to start with a bubble and quite often that’s a glass of champagne, but there are so many other regions who produce sparkling wine. In the Mosel you find some incredible ones as well. Just like this one from Nik Weis. It’s one of the most famous wineries in the region and now it’s run by the third generation of the Weis family. The wine is a brut wine which means that the residual sugar content up to 12 grams a liter. Even though it already contains some sugar, it still tastes dry and fresh on the palate. The paring with the scallop will be perfect. Now you could also buy a bottle of champagne, but it’s going to be at least 3 times more expensive. The price quality of this bottle is incredible!

The winery: https://www.nikweis.com/en/

The wine: https://shop.nikweis.com/detail/index/sArticle/202