Ingredients
- 4 heads baby fennel, cleaned, 1 tablespoon fronds reserved
- 3 shallots, 2 chopped + 1 minced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- 3 large heirloom tomatoes
- 1 cup sweet yellow corn kernels
- 1 cup cleaned spinach leaves
- 2 cups good quality red wine
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds (toasted until fragrant)
- 2 tablespoons truffle oil
- 1 cup polenta
- 12 very large scallops, side muscle removed
- 1 tablespoon chives
Preparation
Step 1
Method: Place fennel bulbs along with the chopped shallots, garlic, bay leaf and a sprig of thyme in a pot just large enough to contain them. Cover with cold salted water, simmer until fennel is tender,
about 20 minutes. Cool in liquid. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and prepare an ice bath. Cut an X into the bottom of the tomatoes and remove the core. Plunge tomatoes into the water until the skins loosen, about 30 seconds, immediately place them into the ice bath. Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and cut them into 1/4" dice. Reduce red wine until 1/4 cup remains. Add minced shallot and fennel seeds. Whisk 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and the truffle oil into the red wine mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
Assembly: Saute corn and peeled tomatoes in 1/4 cup of the olive oil. The tomatoes will release their liquid, continue cooking until almost dry. Add spinach, cook thirty seconds or until spinach is wilted. Mix polenta with enough cold water to form a thick paste. Season with salt and pepper. Season the scallops with salt and pepper, and coat them with a 1/8" thick coating of the polenta paste on one side only. Heat a saute pan large enough to hold the scallops with 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Carefully saute the scallops crust side first until golden, about 90 seconds. Flip and continue to cook the scallops until medium rare, about another 60 seconds. Remove to a warm place. Heat the remaining olive oil in a large saute pan. Remove the fennel bulbs, cut them in half lengthwise. Brown the fennel cut side first, flip and continue to cook until hot. Divide the corn-tomato mixture among four plates. Place two pieces of the fennel halves side by side on top. Arrange the scallops on the fennel. Spoon truffled red wine vinaigrette around. Sprinkle chives around, and garnish with the fennel fronds.