Otherwise known as Coquilles St. Jacques, Sauce Mandarine, this dish was created by chef Jean-Louis Palladin. If the sauce is too strong-tasting or too thin, swirl in bits of butter, on and off the heat. Depending on your ingredients, the sauce will range in color from soft orange to dark caramel.
The recipe calls for a nonreactive saucepan, which means a pan that will not react to acidic ingredients; enameled cast-iron, stainless steel, glass and nonstick cookware are good choices.
Make Ahead: The scallops need to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 16 large fresh sea scallops, preferably all the same size (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
- 3 tablespoons fruity olive oil
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped celery leaves
- 2 pinches crumbled fresh thyme leaves
- Coarse sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups fresh tangerine juice
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium fish stock, boiled until reduced to 1/4 cup
- 2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade demi-glace (see NOTE)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Water (optional)
Directions
Rinse the scallops; use paper towels to pat them dry. Place in a quart-size zip-top bag along with the oil, parsley, celery and thyme leaves. Season lightly with salt and pepper; seal and massage gently to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
Meanwhile, boil the tangerine juice in a small, nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat until it has reduced to 1/3 cup.
Stir in the fish-stock reduction and the demi-glace. Once the mixture starts to boil, add the cream. Cook without stirring for 5 to 7 minutes, until large bubbles appear on the surface and the sauce begins to thicken. After the first 5 minutes, stir with a wooden spoon to determine the sauce's thickness; when you pull the spoon through, you should be able to briefly see the bottom of the pan.
Taste it; if the sauce is too sweet, adjust with a few drops of lemon juice and freshly ground pepper to taste. If the sauce has turned oily, you have reduced it too much; in this case, stir in a tablespoon of water, and it should immediately smooth out. (At this point, the sauce can be held over warm water, such as in a double boiler, for up to 1 hour and reheated gently.)
About 15 minutes before serving, position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler; preheat the broiler. Reheat the sauce on the stove top, if necessary.
Remove the scallops from the refrigerator; discard the marinade. Arrange them on a broiling rack or grill pan. Broil on each side for 2 minutes or until lightly browned and just cooked through.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the warm sauce onto each warm plate, tilting the plates to coat the bottom evenly. Arrange 4 scallops on top of each portion. Serve right away.
NOTE: To make a demi-glace for this recipe at home, boil 3/4 cup no-salt-added beef broth until it has reduced to 2 tablespoons.
Recipe Source
Adapted from "The Cooking of Southwest France: Recipes from France's Magnificent Rustic Cuisine," by Paula Wolfert (John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2005).
Tested by Mike Cutler.
E-mail questions to the Food Section at food@washpost.com.
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