Anchoiade and Coquilles St Jacques (scallops)
From the one star french chef Patrick Asfaux
Cooking time :
Total time :
For 6 guests :
- 12 scallops
- 12 medium tomatoes
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 egg yolks
- 25 cl of olive oil
- The juice of 1 lemon
- 30 gr of capers, finely chopped
- 6 handfuls of lamb's lettuce
- balsamic vinegar
- chives
Progression
Cut the tomato tops and carefully scoop out the flesh from inside. Using a knife, cut a small slice at the bottom of each tomato in order to enable each of them to stand upright.
For the anchoyade: blend the anchovies and the garlic cloves (degermed and peeled).
Put the anchovy paste in a large bowl. Add the egg yolks and whisk everything together with 20 cl of olive oil in order to make a mayonnaise. Add the chopped capers and the tomato flesh.
Set aside in the refrigerator.
During this time, put some fine salt inside each hollow tomato and place them upside down on a grill for ½ an hour so that they lose their water.
In a small dish, cut your scallops in 2 along the width. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and cover them with 5 cl of the remaining olive oil. Add the lemon juice and leave to marinate for ½ an hour.
Wash the lamb's lettuce properly at least two times, manually leaving any dirt on the bottom of the washing container. Dry the lettuce carefully using a cloth napkin.
Put some anchoyade inside each tomato and then add a scallop slice in each of them.
Season your lamb's lettuce with the scallop marinade and season to taste.
Composition: the salad should be placed in the middle of a nice individual plate (season the salad only at the last minute). Delicately place the scallop halves on top of the salad, put a tomato on each end and decorate with surrounding droplets of balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle chives over the composition in a decorative way.
This first course can be served on a festive occasion. It will lightly waken your taste buds, enabling you to enjoy a stronger main course.