These are what we call sea truffles. We learned the technique from Gerard Craft at Niche. We added the preliminary step of brining the scallop. We brine U-10 scallops for 10 minutes in a 5% salt water solution. We brine the muscles as well. We remove them from the brine and cold smoke them for at least an hour. Then we put them into our dehydrator and dry them for 36 hours. The concentrated scallop flavor blends with the smoke. The salt brine seasons the outside. The dried scallop muscle is great in sauces. The scallop itself has unlimited uses from seasoning vegetables to flavoring breads. We have found that using a microplane to grate the scallop works best. A bonito shaver may also be interesting. This preparation arrived to our panty late. Fortunately it is here to stay.
Years Past
April 2, 2005