Hebridean Peat Smoked Scallops are delicious served very simply with canapé blinis, fine oatcakes or even crisp melba toast. Additional flavouring with such bases include a little lemon or lime juice, créme frâiche or even a drop of very good vodka as a dressing.
The sweet aromatic flavour of the smoked scallops adds an extra dimension to some dishes and has a natural affinity with mushrooms. Below are a small number of recipes and serving suggestions that make something of this combination as well as other delicious ideas
Field and Wild Mushroom Risotto with Peat Smoked Scallops
A classic mushroom risotto with the addition of Peat Smoked Scallops at the end of preparation that suffuses the whole dish with a sweet smokiness – totally delicious
Ingredients
500g best arborio risotto rice
50g dried porcini mushrooms
50g dried morel mushrooms
250g fresh field and shitake mushrooms, sliced
2 medium sized onions, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely grated
4 tablespoons of very good olive oil
25g salted butter
150g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
one tablespoon of mascarpone cream cheese
500 ml of good beef stock or consomme
250ml water
half a glass of dry white wine
2 bay leaves
half a cup of chopped parsley or basil
150g Peat Smoked Scallops
Advance preparation
Heat the stock with the wine and water until boiling and pour this into a warmed heat-proof bowl containing all the dried mushrooms. Leave to stand for 45 minutes for the mushrooms to swell and a deep rich infusion to form. Strain out the mushrooms and reserve returning the enriched stock to a saucepan and on to the heat keeping it warm
Method
In a heavy bottomed pan or cast iron casserole melt the butter over a medium heat with the olive oil. Add the chopped onion,bay leaves and garlic and gently sauté until the onion it is soft and transparent – avoid the onion colouring as it will not give a good flavour and the garlic will certainly be overcooked as well. Add the rice and stir well to coat all the grains in the butter/oil mixture which will begin to be absorbed by the rice immediately. Once you start to see the moisture being absorbed add all the mushrooms mixing well with the rice. Start to gradually add ladle fulls of the stock adding only enough to keep the mixture well moistened, stirring regularly. The gradual adding of the stock and regular stirring will ensure you have a creamy textured risotto but guard against letting it get too dry or it will stick to the base of the pan
When you have used up all of the stock (this should take about 15 – 20 minutes) test the rice to see if it is cooked ; it should retain some bite but not be in any way chalky. If the rice is not cooked and the risotto is getting dry add small amounts of boiling water until the rice is cooked and the risotto has a lovely creamy consistency. As soon as you reach this stage take it off the heat and lid the pan.
In a wide frying pan or wok very quickly fry the scallop discs in a little hot oil until they colour – this will not take long at all so be prepared to get them out of the pan as soon as you have flipped them over to colour the reverse sides
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