Spring Green

by , on
May 14, 2016
When someone
mentions pea green, most people think of pea soup made from dried peas. Army
green, hospital green, schoolroom green. 
Tasty, yes, but not a color that inspires me.

I prefer bright
spring green, which can be brought to your table with vibrant fresh – or, in
this case, flash frozen – peas.
One evening,
our friend Marie-Claire came to dinner to help us taste a few rosés. It was the
night I made the Parfait of Sweetbreads.
The
sweetbread appetizer was unbelievably rich, so I wanted to create a light main
course.
Because we
were tasting Provençal rosé wines, I put on my Provençal lavender-harvesting
straw hat and asked myself, “WWMD?” (What Would Matisse Do?)
Channeling Henri,
I thought about flavor, color, texture, and composition. Here is what came to
mind … peas, lemon, fennel, and some nice, plump sea scallops. It all came
together in a flash.
The one
ingredient that really made the whole dish was the garnish of diced Moroccan preserved lemon. The brightness of lemon was perfect with the sweet fennel and
pea purée and the briny seared scallops.
Amazing
color, texture, and flavor; Matisse would be proud! He might even have approved
of my plating!
Bon Appétit!
~ David
Seared
Scallops with Fennel-Pea Purée
6 tablespoons
unsalted butter, divided
1 large white
onion, sliced
1 large
fennel bulb, sliced, fronds reserved and chopped
7 cups frozen
peas
4-6 cups
broth (chicken or vegetable) or water
1/4 cup
Pastis
12 large sea
scallops
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon
fennel pollen, or ground fennel seed
salt and
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 of a
Moroccan preserved lemon, rinsed and diced
Heat 4
tablespoons butter in a soup kettle over medium heat and add the onions and
fennel bulb. Cook gently until both are soft and translucent; do not brown
them. Add the peas and 4 cups broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer
until peas are tender. Transfer the peas, onion, fennel, and broth to the food
processor; purée. If too thick, add some more broth. Adjust the seasoning.
Clean out the
soup kettle. Then, using a very fine mesh sieve, press the pea purée through
the sieve back into the soup kettle. Add the Pastis and stir; set aside. Discard
solids in the sieve.
Wash and dry
the scallops; remove the tough muscle.
Mix the flour
and fennel pollen, with some salt and pepper, on a plate. Dredge each scallop
on both sides and place on a plate.
Reheat pea
purée.
Over medium-high
heat, melt the remaining butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Sear scallops
for about one minute on each side.
Ladle some
pea purée into 4 heated soup plates, add three seared scallops to each plate,
and top with chopped fennel fronds and some diced preserved lemon.
Light the
candles, put on some Édith Piaf to set the mood, and serve with a nice rosé.

Serves 4.


31 Comments

  1. Caroline @ Pinch Me, I'm Eating!

    May 14, 2016 at 3:42 pm

    Sounds delicious! Where does one get Moroccan preserved lemons? Also, I love your suggestion of Édith Piaf and a nice rosé. Sounds delightful!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 14, 2016 at 3:53 pm

      Caroline – thank you for asking. I just added a link to my recipe for "how to make Moroccan preserved lemons!" It's really easy and MUCh better than what you can buy on a store.

      Reply
    • Caroline @ Pinch Me, I'm Eating!

      May 20, 2016 at 1:37 am

      Wonderful! I'll have to check it out!

      Reply
  2. Marcelle

    May 14, 2016 at 4:31 pm

    David, oh my, this looks absolutely delicious. I love scallops and this is just a gorgeous dish!

    Reply
  3. Jill

    May 14, 2016 at 10:14 pm

    Delightful…

    Reply
  4. Bizzy Lizzy's Good Things

    May 15, 2016 at 12:05 am

    Exquisiteness!

    Reply
  5. Sippity Sup

    May 15, 2016 at 12:06 am

    Matisse would paint naked people dancing in the garden at twilight. Is that what you meant? They'd have just eaten scallops, of course. GREG

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 18, 2016 at 1:27 pm

      Ah, that Matisse… he was always getting into something!

      Reply
  6. John - heneedsfood

    May 15, 2016 at 9:33 pm

    That colour! Those scallops! I think I feel like dancing around the garden at twilight – with a glass of rosé and a fork holding a scallop, of course.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 18, 2016 at 1:28 pm

      That would be a vision, John – would you paint yourself bleu?

      Reply
  7. Gerlinde de Broekert

    May 16, 2016 at 3:41 am

    I feel like dancing also after eating this colorful meal, I love scallops and that sauce looks exquisite.

    Reply
  8. Paolo

    May 16, 2016 at 4:02 am

    Gorgeous dish! And it sounds amazing, I really like the flavor profile you've researched here. And I can see that the preserved lemons work (my wife and I fell in love with them after our honeymoon to Morocco, not the easiest of our trips, I have to admit, but one which left a very deep mark into our diet!)

    When you open your restaurant, you must feature this dish. Meanwhile, I must try recreating it!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 18, 2016 at 1:30 pm

      How wonderful that you honeymooned in Morocco! It is such a magical country, and it was there that I, too, fell for those preserved lemons! I hope you are making them at home, Paolo!

      And you must work on recreating them, as I don't see that restaurant opening for a little while… 🙂

      Reply
  9. Inger @ Art of Natural Living

    May 16, 2016 at 1:07 pm

    The green is certainly brilliant and beautiful! And scallops are, of course, always amazing! I am glad that rosé wines are coming back–I have some fond memories from my youth… Sounds like a great evening!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 18, 2016 at 1:31 pm

      I am glad to hear you say that about rosé, Inger. I am glad, too. I had an event here at home for my alma mater, and put out a red, a white, and a rosé – more than half the people went for the rosé! Glad you like the scallop dish!

      Reply
  10. Unknown

    May 16, 2016 at 4:52 pm

    I love the colors. I am sure it is utterly delicious.

    Reply
  11. Unknown

    May 17, 2016 at 12:40 am

    Oh, what gorgeous colour! Henri would be very proud 🙂
    Love the flavours and the colours and the textures too. I adore preserved lemons and the pop of fresh, bright flavour they impart. Looks incredibly delicious and very sophisticated 🙂

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 18, 2016 at 1:32 pm

      Thanks, Nazneen – I am not sure what inspired that hint of lemon at the end, but it really made the dish.

      Reply
  12. Provence WineZine

    May 17, 2016 at 1:42 pm

    Why don't I get flashes like this? How can I channel Henri? Not anticipating much success in either of those endeavors, I will happily follow this inspiring recipe! As everyone has written, brilliant colors!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 18, 2016 at 1:33 pm

      Oh, c'mon, Susan! You get flashes – they just may not be Henri-inspired… perhaps some great journalist?

      Reply
  13. Chef Mimi

    May 18, 2016 at 1:01 pm

    Absolutely gorgeous!!! Love your French references!

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 18, 2016 at 1:33 pm

      Thanks, Mimi – it is really fun creating dishes like this!

      Reply
  14. Karen (Back Road Journal)

    May 18, 2016 at 6:51 pm

    What a pretty, pretty dish…a feast for the eyes. I can just imagine how good it was.

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 19, 2016 at 1:31 pm

      Thanks, Karen. It was really good – definitely one I will make again!

      Reply
  15. Andrea_TheKitchenLioness

    May 24, 2016 at 5:53 pm

    Dear David, just a perfecly presented spring dish with loads of wonderful flavors all coming together for an elegant dinner recipe. It just occured to me that I never made preserved lemons…and I know that I should some day.
    Liebe Grüße,
    Andrea

    Reply
    • Cocoa & Lavender

      May 25, 2016 at 1:55 pm

      They are so easy to make, Andrea – you definitely need to try it. And they are so much better than anything you can buy!

      Reply

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