Leek Fondue with Scallops – a French Bistro Classic Made Easy
By Le Chef’s Wife
Leek Fondue with Scallops – a French Bistro Classic Made Easy
By Le Chef’s Wife
Yield/Serves:
2
- 8 Fresh Jumbo Sea Scallops (the ones I used are 1.5 inches in diameter). If you are using smaller scallops you can use more. Diver Sea Scallops are also excellent in this recipe.
- 4 Leeks
- 4 Golden Potatoes (peeled and quartered)
- 1 shallot, chopped finely
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 5 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 pinches of Sel de Camargue or rock salt
- 2 tablespoons of dry vermouth (a dry white wine also works here)
- 1 lemon for zesting
- Parsley for garnish
For the fondue:
Cut the bottoms and the tough green tops off the leeks. (You only want to use the light green and white parts of the leek) Peel off the outer layers to remove most of the dirt.
Rinse leeks and cut into thin, half moon slivers.
Meanwhile, put the peeled and quartered potatoes in a saucepan, covered with cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and drain.
In the 2.5 QT Le Creuset Braiser with a glass lid, heat one tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Add the shallot and a pinch of salt and stir frequently until translucent.
Pour in the chopped leeks. Stir frequently over medium heat to make sure that the leeks do not burn.
Once the leeks are soft and melty, transfer the sautéed leek mixture into a bowl and set aside.
Wipe the Braiser with a paper towel and remove all leftover leek bits.>
For the scallops:
Rinse your scallops and dry with a paper towel. Drying the scallops is a very important step! A wet scallop will not sear.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Place scallops down gently in the Braiser and let them brown for 1 minute (resist the urge to flip them too soon)
Flip and brown on the other side for another minute..
Remove the scallops from the pan gently (a rubber spatula is a great tool to use here) and set aside.
Deglaze the pan with white vermouth and the remaining tablespoon of butter and then add the leeks back in once the vermouth is simmering and all the flavorful bits are mixed in (use your rubber spatula to get the caramelized pieces into the sauce)
Pour in the heavy cream and stir, bringing the heat to medium low.
Add the scallops into the Braiser, nestling them into the leeks fondue along with the potatoes.
Place the lid on the Braiser and let steam for 4 minutes making sure the temperature stays low and the leeks do not brown. The cream will reduce nicely.
Turn off the heat and remove the glass cover.