Qualicum Bay Scallops, Santa Rosa Plum Glaze

Photo credit: Rebecca Baugniet

From Vancouver Cooks 2

Published by Douglas & McIntyre, October 2009.

Andrea Carlson, of Bishop’s writes : “Plump and beautifully textured, these scallops from Qualicum Bay on Vancouver Island will soak up the sweetness of their glaze. Though Santa Rosa plums are ideal, any juice plum from the Okanagan, Similkameen or Kootenay valleys will do when in season.” Andrea suggests pairing this meal with a Church and State Wines Viognier.

Plum Glaze

1 cup dry sherry

1 cup dry white wine

20 Santa Rosa plums, very ripe, pitted

2 shallots, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

4 sprigs oregano

4 sprigs thyme

Wild Rice, Radish and Shiitake Sauté

5 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 shallots, thinly sliced

1/2- inch piece ginger root, peeled, julienned

36 baby shiitake mushrooms, stemmed,

or 20 large shiitake, stemmed and sliced

1 cup cooked and drained wild rice

30 sugar snap peas, cleaned, strings removed and blanched

30 leaves baby kale, 2-inch diameter

6 Tbsp vegetable stock

3 Tbsp coarsely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

6 French Breakfast radishes, thinly sliced on the diagonal

6 sprigs pea shoots for garnish

Scallops

18 Qualicum Bay scallops, tough outer muscle removed

2 to 3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Plum Glaze

Combine all of the ingredients in a small non-reactive pot on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Do not boil. Simmer slowly for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is viscous. Season to taste with salt. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard solids.

Wild Rice, Radish and Shiitake Sauté

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Melt butter and oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until tender. Add wild rice and cook for 3 minutes to heat through. Turn down heat to medium, then add snap peas, kale and stock. Cook for 4 minutes, or until kale is tender. Stir in parsley and radishes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the scallops.

Scallops

Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy frying pan on medium-high heat. Add scallops and sear on one side for 1 to 2 minutes, or until caramelized. Flip over scallops and remove the pan from the heat (they will finish cooking on the pan off the heat).

To Serve

While the scallops are cooking, gently reheat the plum glaze. Spoon the wild rice mixture onto warmed plates, drizzle with plum glaze and arrange three scallops on each serving. Garnish with pea shoots.