Scallop Boudin with Citrus Compote and Fennel Purée

This is a dish from Peter Smith, owner-chef of PS7's, designed to impress. But if you take it slowly and carefully it isn't as hard to produce as it may at first appear. The purée and the compote can be finished ahead of time and the boudin taken right up to the moment of poaching.

Serves four to five.

For the boudin:
1 pound sea scallops, patted dry
Salt and pepper
1 egg white
1/4 cup white wine
3 cups heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons minced chives

Large-dice the scallops and reserve half in the refrigerator for later use. Place the first half in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper, add the egg white and process for about 30 seconds or until it forms a rough paste.

Add the white wine and process for an additional 10 seconds. Through the feed tube at
the top of the processor slowly add the cream to the mixture while processing. Stop frequently to clean the sides of the bowl. Continue until all of the cream is
incorporated. The mixture should look like soft-serve ice cream.

In a bowl, place the reserved scallops and the scallop mixture. Gently fold to combine but do not overwork. Add the chives and combine.

Spoon the mixture onto a piece of parchment paper (coated with non-stick spray) to form a long cylinder about a half-dollar round in size. Wrap aluminum foil around the parchment and twist the ends so it looks like a Tootsie Roll. Poach the cylinder in simmering water for about 10 minutes or until firm. Let cool.

For the citrus compote:
1 orange
1 lemon
1 lime
1/2 pink grapefruit
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste

With a microplane zest all of the scrubbed citrus, then cut out the fruit segments from between the membranes, catching the juice in a bowl.

Combine all of the ingredients including the zest and juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a mediumhigh heat. Reduce the liquid down to a light syrup, stirring frequently. Let cool and adjust the seasoning.

For the fennel purée:
1 head fennel, chopped into medium
dice
1 small onion, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup vegetable stock or water
2 tablespoons butter

In a saucepan, sweat the onions in butter until tender, add the fennel and continue to cook until tender. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the cover and reduce the liquid until almost dry. Place the contents of the pan into a blender (while still hot), purée and season to taste.

To serve:
Slice the boudin into cylinders two or three inches in length, sauté in a small amount of butter until golden brown, then slice each cylinder into three equal pieces.

Place three small dollops of the fennel purée on a plate and top each dollop with a piece of the boudin. Finish the dish by topping each piece of boudin
with a small amount of the citrus compote.

This recipe first appeared in the NorthWest Current newspaper. Photo Bill Petros/The Current.

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