6 tbsp. butter
1 large shallot, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
8 diver scallops, dry packed (U-8 size)
1/2 cup brandy
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 lb. pappardelle pasta
1/4 cup shitake mushrooms
3/4 cup porcini mushrooms
1/2 cup oyster mushrooms
shells from 1 pound of spot prawns or crab
1 tbsp. fish base (Better Than Bouillon)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
sugar
white truffle oil
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Timing is important in this dish. If you are using dried shiitake, porcini and/or oyster mushrooms, blanch them in 2 cups boiling water for 5 minutes. Take the mushrooms out of the water and dry them, cut the stems off of the shiitake mushrooms. You may leave the stems on the other varieties. Cut mushrooms into bitesize pieces (usually in half or 1/3). Reserve 1/2 of the “mushroom water” from blanching. If you are using fresh mushrooms, all you need to do is cut the fresh mushrooms and set aside for later. In this case just use 1 cup of water for building the “fish base stock”. Add 1 tbsp. fish base as well as spot prawn or crab shells, a pinch of salt and pepper and boil for 5 minutes or until reduced by half.
Heat a deep heavy pan (All Clad stainless steel is best) over medium-high on the stovetop. Pat the diver scallops dry with a paper towel. Season with salt, pepper and a slight pinch of sugar on each side. When the pan is hot, melt 2 tbsp. butter and once melted add all 8 scallops to the pan, separated from each other so they may brown nicely. Sear the scallops for 2 minutes on each side. If done correctly, the scallops will gain a beautiful golden crust on the outside while remaining tender and juicy in the middle. Remove scallops to a plate lined with a paper towel and let rest.
In the deep heavy pan, sauté garlic and shallot in the remaining 4 tbsp. of butter on medium-high until translucent. Add all mushrooms varieties and continue cooking for 3-4 minutes. Add brandy and reduce to a syrupy texture. Once the brandy has reduced – add back in the scallops as well as cream, 1/8 cup fish stock and a pinch of salt and pepper. Finish cooking on medium-low for 10 minutes, adding small amounts of parmesan at a time, until sauce thickens slightly. If sauce becomes too thick, add more stock 1 tablespoon at a time. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, boil the pappardelle pasta so that it is finished at nearly the same time as the sauce. Add the pasta to the heavy pan with sauce and mix all ingredients together. Once the pasta is plated, add 4-5 drops of truffle oil to each plate and enjoy!
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