Isn’ this gorgeous? A school of scallops waiting for the bus…
OK, joking aside aside, I tried this recipe on some friends and received accolades. If you take your time and get organized, it is easy peasy….BTW, if you are ever looking for a Vancouver caterer, Culinary Capers is the best, bar none.
Scallops with Sake Gelee and Mango
by Jonathan Chovancek, Culinary Capers, Vancouver, BC
This low- fat hors d’ oeuvre or appetizer pairs sake with the sweet, nutty flavour of scallops.
SUBSTITUTE: If fresh sweet mangoes are unavailable, you could substitute roasted and peeled sweet peppers.
Serves 6 as an appetizer or 24 as hors d’oeuvres
Ingredients
Sake Jelly
1 ½ cups (336 mL) (1 small bottle) premium sake
8 sheets gelatin, softened (or 2 envelopes (2 Tbsp/ 30 mL) gelatin powder)
3 ripe mangoes
12 medium sea scallops
½ tsp (2 mL)fine sea salt
Chili Mayonnaise
¼ cup (60 mL) mayonnaise
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried red chili flakes
1 tsp (5 mL) lime zest
To garnish: freshly cracked pink peppercorns and micro greens
To make the sake gelee, soften the gelatin in about 1 cup cold water (½ cup/125 mL water if using powder) and allow it to soften, about 5 minutes. Bring ¼ cup (60 mL) of the sake to a simmer in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir the mixture until the gelatin is dissolved (drain off the water if you’re using sheets), and then add the remaining sake.
Line a 9-inch (23 cm) square plastic or glass container with a single sheet of plastic wrap so that the bottom and sides are covered. Pour the mixture into the lined container and refrigerate it 6 hours, or overnight.. When the gelee is set, turn it out onto a cutting board. It should be a solid, wobbly square. Cut the gelee into ¼ inch ( 6mm) thick slices with a wet knife. With a ¾ inch (2 cm) round cutter (or 1 ½ inch / 4 cm) for appetizers) cut out 24 (or 12) circles from the sake slices. Place the gelee circles back onto the tray lined with plastic wrap and set them aside.
Peel the mangoes. With a sharp knife, slice each mango lengthwise into ¼ inch (6 mm) slices. With the same round cutter used to cut the jelly circles, cut 24 (12) rounds from the mango slices. Place the mango rounds on a tray and top each one with a gelee round. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate it.
Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Dry the scallops with a paper towel and season them with the sea salt. Bake the scallops in the oven for 5 minutes or until they are medium rare. Cool the scallops quickly in the refrigerator. When they are cold, slice each scallop in half to create 2 round discs. Cover with plastic and place them in the refrigerator.
To make the chili mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise with the chili and lime zest and refrigerate. (The mayonnaise can be made up to three days in advance.).
To assemble the hors d’ oeuvres, place a dime- sized dab of chili lime mayo on a serving spoon (preferably ceramic). Place a scallop on top of each dab. Now, carefully lift each mango/sake gelee stack and place it on top of each scallop. Once the dish is assembled, serve it right away or chill it for up to two hours before serving.
Alternatively, you can serve this as an appetizer. Top with a crack of pink peppercorn and shredded micro greens.
Wine Pairing Suggestion: This dish is best served with a cold premium sake.