Ravioli with Bay Scallops
No portion of this dish is difficult to make; however, be warned that there are a great number of steps that must be accomplished just prior to serving. This would be a good dish to make when there are several people sharing the cooking duties. The unrolled ravioli dough may be prepared 1 day in advance and refrigerated, wrapped in plastic wrap. The remainder of the dish must be prepared just prior to serving.
Ingredients
- Seaweed Salad
- Edible Seaweed - 1 cup (available in some supermarkets and in Asian markets)
- Toasted Sesame Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Rice Wine Vinegar - 2 tablespoons
- Sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon
- Pasta Dough
- Semolina Flour - 1/2 cup
- All-Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup
- Egg - 1
- Saffron Threads - 1/2 teaspoon, crushed into a fine powder in a mortar
- Filling
- Sea Scallops - 4 to 6 (1/2 cup), muscle removed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1/2 cup
- Bay Scallops - 4
- Egg - 1, lightly beaten
- Chicken Stock - 4 cups
- Sauce and Garnish
- Champagne - 1/2 cup
- shallots - 2, minced
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Sea Scallops - 8, muscle removed, sliced crosswise into halves
- Bay Scallops - 8, preferably in the shell
- Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
- Cold Unsalted butter - 2 tablespoons
- Fresh Parsley - 1 tablespoon, minced
Instructions
To make the salad: Combine the seaweed with the sesame oil, vinegar, and sesame seeds. Toss the combine well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
To make the pasta: Combine the flours, egg, and saffron in a food processor and pulse to combine. Form the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap, and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
Roll the pasta dough through the widest setting of a pasta machine, and continue to roll it, moving the rollers closer each time to make the pasta as thin as possible. Set the dough sheets aside.
To make the filling: Season the sea scallops with salt and pepper on both sides. Put the sea scallops in a blender or food processor and pulse until finely pureed. Add the cream and pulse again just to combine (avoid over-processing or the cream will turn to butter). Transfer the mousse to a chilled bowl and keep chilled until ready to use.
Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of the mousse at 2-inch intervals onto one half of the pasta dough. Press a bay scallop into the center of each mound, then top the bay scallop with another dollop of mousse. Brush the other half of the pasta with the beaten egg, then drape that half over the first (filled) strip. Press between the filling mounds, sealing them. Cut around the ravioli with a scalloped cookie cutter. Crimp the outside to seal the ravioli, making sure to expel any air pockets. Cover the ravioli with a damp cloth and set aside. Place the chicken stock in a stockpot and bring to a low boil.
To make the sauce and garnish: Combine the Champagne and shallots in a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Simultaneously, barely coat the bottom of a heavy cast-iron skillet with the olive oil and place over high heat. Add the ravioli to the pot of boiling chicken stock and cook for 3 minutes. While the ravioli are cooking, sear the sea scallops in the cast-iron skillet until they are golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes. When the Champagne has been boiling for approximately 4 minutes, add the bay scallops and steam until just open. (If you are using shucked bay scallops, add them to the Champagne and poach for not more than 1 minute.) Turn the sea scallops and cook on the other side for 45 seconds. Remove the bay scallops from the Champagne and set aside, keeping warm. Put the Champagne back over medium heat. Add the salt, then lower the heat and swirl in the cold butter, whisking to combine. Swirl in the parsley and set aside.
To serve: Drain the ravioli and blot quickly on paper towels. Arrange a mound of seaweed salad in the center of each plate. Place four discs of seared sea scallop on one side of the salad, then place two bay scallops (preferably in the shell) beside them. Divide the ravioli among the plates. Drizzle with Champagne sauce over each of the three scallop preparations. Or, for a simplified presentation, surround the seaweed salad with three ravioli, nap lightly with sauce, and sprinkle small diced tomato bits and chopped green onions between the ravioli.
