Seared scallops, saffron gnocchi, tomato, fresh peas, pine nuts & basil ravigotte
Serves 6
Basil Ravigotte:
1 bunch basil leaves
200ml olive oil
6 golden shallots, finely diced
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt/freshly ground black pepper
Saffron Gnocchi:
750g waxy potatoes, such at bintje
150g (1 cup) strong flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
50g (½ cup) freshly grated parmesan cheese
a pinch of saffron threads
olive oil
1 cup freshly podded peas, frozen if unavailable, blanched
2 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded and diced
¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
500g scallops (about 3 large or 4 small scallops per serve), roe removed
a knob of unsalted butter
juice of 1 lemon
6 lemon wedges
To make the basil ravigotte, blanch the basil in a pot of boiling salted water; drain. Refresh the basil in iced water then drain again and place on paper towels, squeezing out any excess moisture. Put the basil and olive oil in an upright blender and blend until smooth. Strain the oil into a bowl through a very fine sieve or piece of muslin, forcing as much of the oil through as possible. Whisk in the shallots, chives and lemon juice. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until required.
To make the saffron gnocchi, lightly whisk the egg and saffron together in a small bowl and set aside to infuse.
Steam the potatoes until tender, allow to cool a little, then peel and pass through a mouli or sieve into a bowl – you should have 500g of cooked potato.
Fold the flour into the potato, then gently stir in the egg mixture and parmesan and season with sea salt and black pepper – do not overwork the mixture, or the gnocchi will be tough.
To shape the gnocchi, roll the mixture into cylinders about 2.5cm in diameter. Using a floured knife, cut the cylinders diagonally into 2.5cm lengths.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a simmer. Add the gnocchi and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until they float then cook for a further minute. Remove one gnocchi from the water and test – it should be cooked in the centre and not gluey. When cooked, drain the gnocchi and refresh in iced water, then drain again. Toss with a little olive oil and store, covered, until required.
To serve, combine the peas, tomatoes and pine nuts in a bowl then divide evenly among serving bowls.
Gently reheat the gnocchi in a pot of boiling salted water then drain on paper towels. Arrange three to four gnocchi on each plate.
Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat. Season the scallops with sea salt and black pepper. In batches, quickly sear the scallops in the hot pan on both sides until opaque – they should only take about 20-30 seconds each side. Remove the pan from the heat and add a knob of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Arrange three to four scallops amongst the gnocchi and peas then drizzle over the basil ravigotte.
WINE SUGGESTION
1996 Duval Leroy Brut
