Sweet succulent diver scallops, pan seared and topped with crispy bacon in a bacon-miso vinaigrette.   I had better post this recipe before the new year’s resolutions kick in.  Or perhaps the new resolution is to eat more bacon?  Or this may qualify for a salad diet?

Chef’s tip: To make the nutty flavored clarified butter, heat 4 tablespoons of unsalted sweet butter under medium heat till solids separate.  Spoon off the foam, gently pour out the clarified butter leaving the golden brown solids and more liquid moisture behind, if you hadn’t boiled off the watery part of the butter already.  You can pass the clarified butter through a cheesecloth to remove all solids.  Make a large jar of it and store it in the fridge.  Or you can buy clarified butter in a jar, typically labeled as ghee.
To perfectly sear scallops. make sure the scallops are totally at room temperature, pat it dry and salt just before it hits the pan.   Do not move the scallops until the brown crust forms, which will naturally release the scallop.  The temperature of the pan should be medium to hot.  Lastly, look out for the 1/4 inch thick white opaque layer that forms on both side of the seared scallop face.  The middle should be a little translucent, it will cook in its own heat to perfect tender.

Vinaigrette:
4 strips apple smoked bacon
1 small shallot, finely diced, reserve 1 teaspoon
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons mirin
1 Tablespoon sherry
3 Tablespoon orange juice
2 Tablespoons white miso
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar

16 large diver scallops
2 Tablespoons clarified butter
Kosher salt
White pepper

3 cups baby spinach

1. In a small saucepan, render the bacon till the bacon is somewhat crispy,  remove bacon.
2.  Add chopped shallots to the bacon fat, and sweat shallots under medium low heat until golden brown.  Add rice wine vinegar, mirin, sherry and orange juice and deglaze the pan.  Mix in miso, ginger and sugar.  Let simmer till reduced till half and liquids is thickened.  Add in reserved shallots, set aside.
3. In a cast iron pan, heat clarified butter on medium heat until smoky.  Thoroughly dry the scallops with paper towel, rub with salt and pepper.  Add to the pan and turn up the heat.  Let scallop cook without turning until a brown crust forms or a whitish opaque forms about 1/4 inch up.  Flip the scallops and cook till the opaque white goes up 1/4 inch again on the other side of the scallop.  Remove scallops and set aside.
4. Remove pan from heat, add spinach and toss to warm but not wilt the spinach.  Add half the vinaigrette when tossing.
5.  Place a serving of spinach on a plate, top with 4 scallops and sprinkle with reserved bacon.  Drizzle in a tablespoon of vinaigrette.

Serves: 4

Tags: Californian, Fusion, Japanese, salad.

Nothing beats a classic mac and cheese.  I like to use Gruyere for its nutty flavor, but you can use any good melting cheese like a sharp cheddar or for a milder flavor, to wean your child from Kraft’s box mac ‘n cheese, a Monterey Jack.

Chef’s tip: The key to making a bechamel sauce is making a good roux, followed by tempering the milk into the roux.  Heating the milk and adding it a little at a time will ensure a smooth sauce.

Mac and Cheese:

1 lb macaroni or pasta shape of choice
1 Tablespoon butter

4 cups whole milk (for richer flavor, use half & half or heavy cream)
6 Tablespoons (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
6 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 cups (12 ounces) Gruyere or a sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Some butter to grease a 13X9X2 baking dish or 8  1 large ramekins
1 cup coarse, good quality breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated

Preheat the oven 350°F
1. Preparing the pasta:  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add 1 Tablespoon kosher salt.  Add macaroni and cook at a rolling boil until al dente, about 6 minutes. Drain and toss with 1 Tablespoon of butter.
Preparing the sauce:
2. Bring milk/ cream to just about simmer or when steam begins to form.  Set aside.
3. Make a roux:  In a heavy saucepan, melt 6 Tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Do not brown the butter.  Remove from heat, sprinkle in flour and stir with a whisk or a wooden spoon then return to medium heat, while stirring continuously for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Make a bechamel sauce: Add the hot milk to the flour mixture, in small batches and whisk well.  Add salt, pepper, paprika and nutmeg.  Return the pan to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until the sauce thickens and smooth, about 5 minutes.
Assembling the mac and cheese:
5.  Add macaroni to the sauce, add half the shredded cheese mixture and toss well to coat.
6. Butter a oven-proof baking dish or ramekins.  Pour the pasta mixture into the baking dish.  Distribute remaining shredded cheese on top, followed by the breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
7. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.  Remove from oven.
8. Place the dish under the broiler, 4 inches from the heat, for 2 minutes, or until top is golden brown and bubbly.

Serves 8.

Tags: Californian, Pasta, Vegetarian.

This quiche is heavanly.  Flaky, buttery crust and creamy custard filling.  I have provided the custard recipe for leeks and chevre here, but you can still use the same custard recipe and switch out the leeks and goat cheese with other classic fillings like broccoli, bacon and cheddar.  The recipe looks really long because it provides detailed instructions on how to handle the pastry to create the most flaky shell possible.  Follow it to a T and you can’t go wrong!

Chef’s tip: Make sure that when you handle the dough, everything is chilled cold — from the bowl to the ingredients.  And remember, the less you work the dough, the flakier it will be.  Refrain from kneading, or overpulsing the dough.  The flakes of butter that you see in the dough melts creating air space between the pastry, hence the flakiness.

Other tips:  To press the dough to the side of a pan, take a piece of remnant dough, wrap it with some clear wrap and use it instead of your fingers.  In addition, to easily grab the parchment at the end, when cutting out the round parchment, leave a little tab so that you can grab it from the side.

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
82 ml cold water
250 grams pastry flour, chilled
165 grams unsalted butter, chilled

10-inch, 2 inch height quiche pan with removable bottom

To make the pastry dough:
1. Dissolve salt in water, and pop it back into the freezer to keep cold.
2. In a food processor, add the chilled flour, cut the butter into large dice and place on top of the flour.
3. Pulse several times until breadcrumbs form.  You should still have some butter pieces the size of peas.
4. Add the salt water mixture, pulse once or twice until the dough JUST begins to come together and forms a ball but not completely smooth.  Again, do not overwork the dough.
5. Line a clean surface with plastic wrap.  Pour the pastry dough onto the plastic wrap.  Gently push together and form a disc about 1 inch thick.  The dough should have a marbled look to it, with streaks of yellow butter.  Place in the refrigerator and chill overnight.
Baking the pastry shell:
6. Remove dough from fridge.  Lightly dust a pastry cloth with flour and a rolling pin cover.  Place the dough on the pastry cloth and roll it out till the dough is about 1/4 inch thick.  Remember to lift and rotate 90 degrees per several rolls to ensure the dough does not stick and the gluten is not overworked in any one directions.  Never stretch the dough.
7. Butter a 10-inch quiche pan with a removable bottom.  Line the bottom with a round piece of parchment.
8. Gently transfer the dough to line the pan, folding the dough over on your rolling pin, and transferring the dough over the pan.  Gently press dough to meet all the sides of the pan.  Do not stretch the dough under any circumstances.  Using a sharp knife, trim off any overhang.
9. Pop the dough back in the refrigerator for an hour, to rest, as well as to chill the dough.
10. Preheat oven 375F.  Line the dough with some parchment paper, pour in some pie weights and bake 25 minutes.  Remove parchment and weights and bake another 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool before filling.

2 leeks, sliced thinly
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled into large pieces
3/4 cup gruyere, grated

To make the leeks:
1. Saute leeks with butter and salt until soft and the moisture has dried off.  Coll.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cream.
3. In a large bowls, whisk flour with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Add a little bit of egg mixture and whisk to combine.  Slowly add remaining mixture.  Add in chopped thyme.
To assemble the quiche:
4. In a cool, baked shell, scatter the leeks and goat cheese.  Pour in the custard till it comes to about 1/2 inch from the rim.  Reserve remaining custard.
5. Top with gruyere, reserving a tablespoon.
6. Transfer to a 360F oven.  Make a small hole in the middle, pour in the remaining custard till it comes to the top of the rim.  Cover with reserved gruyere.  Bake 40 minutes or until the quiche is no longer jelly in the middle when you shake it.
7. Remove from oven and let it set in the pan for 10 minutes.
8. Place the quiche pan on an inverted bowl, and gently remove the ring.  Using the bottom as support, transfer to a flat plate.  Look for the tab on the parchment and slide a flat edge offset spatula between the parchment and base of the quiche, then pull out the pan bottom with parchment.

Serves: 8 (10 inch pie)

Tags: brunch, Californian, Vegetarian.