The Chefs and Their Recipes
Recipes By CookBook Author
Chef Daniel Boulud

Maine Sea Scallops in Black Tie©
Daniel Boulud's The Café Boulud Cookbook,
coauthored by Dorie Greenspan, Scribner, November 1999.

Daniel Boulud's Maine Sea Scallops in Black Tie
This Recipe is Free to copy for personal use.

Serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course

• 2 black truffles, fresh or canned, golf ball size, juice reserved
• 10 jumbo Maine sea scallops, very fresh and firm
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces spinach leaves, stems discarded, leaves thoroughly washed
• 1/2 pound puff pastry
• 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth
• 1/2 cup chicken jus
• 1 tablespoon sweet butter

1. Slice each truffle into 16 thin slices with a vegetables slicer or mandoline (you will need about 3 slices of truffle per scallop). Save any juice, chop the trimmings, and set both aside for the sauce.

2. Cut each scallop horizontally into 4 slices. Reconstruct each scallop by alternating the 4 slices of scallop with 3 slices of truffle. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed.

3. Wilt the spinach in a steamer or in water for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, cool under cold running water, and drain again. Carefully spread each spinach leaf open on a kitchen towel and pat dry with a second towel.

4. Place a layered scallop in the center of a large spinach leaf and wrap the leaf tightly and smoothly around the scallop. If the scallop is not totally enclosed in the spinach leaf, use a second leaf to seal the scallop in. Repeat the same process for each layered scallop and refrigerate until needed (discard or keep the remaining spinach leaves for other uses).

5. Sprinkle the counter and rolling pin with flour and roll out the puff pastry until very thin, about 1/8" thick. Cut out 24 disks with a 1 1/2" round cookie cuter and 12 ribbons of puff pastry about 5 by 1 1/2". Refrigerate the disks and ribbons on a floured baking sheet for 15 minutes.

6. After the dough has rested, brush about 1" at one end of each ribbon with the egg wash. Place one spinach bundle on the other end of the ribbon and roll the ribbon around the bundle until it overlaps the brushed end to seal. Fold the pastry edges tightly over the top and bottom of the bundle. Brush 2 disks with the egg wash and place a disk on either side of the bundle. Press well to seal. Repeat the same steps to wrap each spinach bundle in the puff pastry.

7. Place the turnovers on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Brush each pastry lightly with the remaining egg wash. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

8. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Bake the turnovers for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size, or until golden (while baking, watch carefully that they do not burn).

9. Prepare the sauce while the turnovers are baking. Pour the vermouth into a small saucepan over high heat. Reduce to 1 teaspoon, about 10 minutes. Add the reserved truffle juice and the chicken jus. Reduce to 1/4 cup and stir in the butter. Add the reserved chopped truffle trimmings. Salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.

Presentation

Split the turnovers in half from top to bottom with a sharp knife. Spoon 1 tablespoon of sauce on the bottom of 4 warmed plates if serving as a main course, 6 warmed plates if serving as an appetizer. Overlap 6 turnovers halves (main course) or 4 halves (appetizer) like rose petals on top of the sauce. Serve immediately.

Buying Sea Scallops: Maine sea scallops are in bountiful supply from fall to spring. Look for firm, ivory-colored scallops, about 1 1/2" in diameter.

More Free Recipes by Chef Daniel Boulud
· Apple and Armagnac Croustade
· Bûche de Noël with Meringue Mushrooms
· Buckwheat Blini with Beluga Caviar and Crème Fraîche
· Chestnut, Celery Root and Apple Soup
· Crab Salad with Apple Gelée
· Crispy Rolls of Salsify with Prosciutto and Parmesan
· Maine Sea Scallops in Black Tie
· Roasted Pheasant / Foie Gras Brussels Sprouts and Root Vegetables with Black Truffle
· Potato Gratin Forestier
· Short Ribs Braised in Red Wine and Celery Duo
· Spiced Sweet Potato Purée with a Gingerbread Topping
Recipes are Free to copy for personal use.

Chef Daniel Boulud Cookbooks:
· Braise : A Journey Through International Cuisine
· Daniel's Dish: Entertaining at Home With a Four-Star Chef
· Letters to a Young Chef
· Chef Daniel Boulud: Cooking In New York City
· The Café Boulud Cookbook
· Cooking With Daniel Boulud

· Fourth Star : A Year Behind the Scenes at DANIEL, Chef Bouloud's Extraordinary Restaurant by Leslie Brenner

(Chef's Profile)