Roasted Scallops and Braised Pork Belly with Celeriac Puree and Rosemary Sauce ▶
Jumbo sea scallops are skewered to a piece of pork belly with a sprig of rosemary. They are served with celeriac puree, caramelized baby onions and leeks, and a rich rosemary-scented sauce. This dish begins at least 2 days ahead with the preparation of the braised pork belly. The directions are given below the main recipes for this dish. A whole braised pork belly makes about 20 pork cubes. While efficient in the restaurant kitchen and true to the dish, this procedure makes an awful lot for the home kitchen. As an alternative, follow the procedures using half a pork belly or even a pork shoulder and half the other ingredients. Note that two types of chicken stock are used, a “white” chicken stock, and a “brown” chicken stock. Both are made the same way, with one exception: for the brown stock, the chicken parts and bones and savory vegetables are roasted in the oven until browned or caramelized before the stock is made. Otherwise, just follow the same directions as those given for the “white” poultry or chicken stock in Cooking Basics.
Ingredients
- Celeriac Puree
- Celeriac - 1-1/2 pounds, peeled and roughly chopped
- Milk - 1-1/4 cups
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 2/3 cup
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Baby Onions
- Unsalted Butter - 3/4 cup
- Baby Onions - 20, peeled
- Thyme Sprigs - 2 fresh, stemmed and minced
- Sugar - 1 teaspoon
- Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
- White Chicken Stock - 1-1/4 cup (see Cooking Basics)
- Scallops
- Scallops - 8 large, coral and skirt removed
- Bacon - 8 thin slices, preferably ventreche
- Braised Pork Belly (below) - 8 cubes
- Rosemary Sprigs - 8
- Rosemary Sauce
- Chicken Stock - 2-1/2 cups, brown
- Rosemary - 1 sprig
- Unsalted Butter - 1/4 cup
- Braised Leeks
- Unsalted Butter - 1 cup
- Baby Leeks - 8, blanched
- To finish the scallops
- Olive Oil - 1/2 cup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Unsalted Butter - 1/4 cup
- Balsamic Vinegar - 1/4 cup
- Flat-leaf Parsley - 4 leaves, chopped
- Braised Pork Belly
- Pork Belly - 1 whole
- Thyme - Half a bunch
- Parsley - 1 bunch
- Garlic Bulbs - 2, split in half
- Carrots - 5, peeled and split in half
- Leeks - 4, split in half
- Onions - 5, peeled and halved
- Shallots - 8, peeled and halved
- Celery - 1 bunch, cleaned and roughly chopped
- Sea Salt - 2 tablespoons
Instructions
To make the celeriac puree: In a medium saucepan, cover the celeriac with the milk and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the liquid is reduced and thickened, and the celeriac is soft, about 20 minutes. Puree and pass through a sieve. Cover, set aside, and keep warm.
To prepare the onions: In a small pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat until the solids in the bottom of the pan begin to brown. Add the onions, thyme, sugar, and salt. Cook until the mixture is well browned, tossing and shaking the pan to keep the onions from sticking. Add the white chicken stock, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are soft and nearly all the liquid has cooked away. Set aside and keep warm.
To prepare the scallops: Wrap each scallop in a slice of bacon. Place each scallop on top of a pork cube and skewer together with a rosemary stalk.
To make the sauce: Place the brown chicken stock in a medium saute pan and add the rosemary and butter. Cook over medium heat until reduced to about 1/2 cup of liquid; it will be syrupy.
To cook the leeks: Preheat the oven to 400 F to cook both the leeks and the scallops. Heat the butter in an ovenproof saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat until the solids in the bottom of the pan begin to brown. Add the blanched leeks and stir to coat. Put in the oven and roast for 5 minutes.
To cook the scallops: Heat the olive oil to very hot in a large ovenproof saute pan or skillet over high heat. Add the scallop assemblies and sear to brown on all sides, 15 to 30 seconds per side. Do not let the scallops touch one another; if necessary, sear in two batches, then return all the scallops to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Add the butter and put in the oven for 1 minute. Put the pan back on top of the stove and deglaze with the balsamic vinegar, stirring up the browned bits. Off the heat, sprinkle with parsley.
To serve: On a warm rectangular glass plate, draw four lines of celeriac puree across the plate. Lay the leeks across the plate and dot the baby mushrooms around. Repeat with remaining plates. Place two scallops on each plate. Drizzle with the sauce.
Pork Belly
Soak the pork belly in cold water to cover in the refrigerator for 1 day. Drain the water and put the pork in a pot of fresh cold water to cover. Bring to a full rolling boil. Drain, rinse, and pour cold water over the pork. Drain again, put the pork back in a pan of fresh water to cover, and add all the remaining ingredients. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 5 hours.
Line a baking pan with a non-stick mat or foil or sturdy plastic film. Remove the pork from the pan while still hot and put into the pan. Let it cool enough to handle, then remove all rib bones and cartilage. Place another non-stick mat or more plastic wrap on top of the remaining meat and put a baking sheet on top. Weight the baking sheet with something heavy and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Trim the pork and cut into 1-inch cubes.
