Scallops with Potato Pancakes and Caviar Sauce

Salty, buttery, creamy, and fishy are words all used to describe what goes well with bubbles.  Twin Tables also go well with bubbles, FYI.  Champagne, sparkling wine, Prosecco, or whatever bubbles tease your nose and palate, there is a food to go with that. Classic parings include the likes of cheese, eggs and popcorn, but fried foods also pop with bubbles on the tongue.  From potato chips to fish and chips, pair a bubbly and discover the taste sensation.

This New Years Eve, we decided we would ring in 2012 in style.  Taking some of the traditional with some of the more outlandish, and adding in some of the more exotic, we found the perfect meal to welcome the new year; Scallops with Potato Pancakes and Caviar Sauce.  Scallops provide the fishy, potato pancakes provide the fried, butter sauce provides, well the buttery, and caviar provides the festively salty taste that will all match gloriously with the bubbles in our glass.  Pouring through an email by Food and Wine, we discovered this lovely recipe and knew at a moment it must be our dish.  With friends all invited and bubbles on ice, this NewYears Eve meal is sure to be the highlight of the night.  Just the right amount of pop to go with our Champagne and fireworks. 

<<We will take a picture on NYE and add it to this blog>>

Scallops with Potato Pancakes and Caviar Sauce
adapted from Food and Wine

Pancakes:

1 pound baking potatoes, peeled

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup grated onion

Salt

Vegetable oil, for frying

Scallops and Caviar Sauce:

1 1/2 cups Champagne or sparkling wine

9 black peppercorns

3 thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons crème fraîche

1/2 cup low fat sour cream

2 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

1 ounce caviar

Salt

Vegetable oil, for frying

20 medium sea scallops (1 pound)

2 tablespoons minced chives

Coarsely shred the potatoes and squeeze out any excess liquid. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the egg, flour, onion and a large pinch of salt. Shape the mixture into 20 scallop-size cakes, about 1/2 inch thick; press the cakes to compress them.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Working in batches, fry the pancakes over moderately high heat until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Lower the heat if the pancakes brown too quickly and add more oil if necessary. Transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

In a small saucepan, combine the Champagne with the peppercorns, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, shallot and lemon juice and boil over high heat until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 15 minutes. Strain the sauce into another small saucepan. Stir in the crème fraîche and sour cream and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the softened butter, 1 teaspoon  at a time. Stir in the caviar and season lightly with salt. Cover the sauce and keep it warm.

Wipe out the skillet and heat 1/4 inch of oil in it until shimmering. Season the scallops with salt and add half of them to the skillet. Cook over high heat until richly browned, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the remaining scallops.

Rewarm the potato pancakes in the oven. Arrange the pancakes on a platter and set a scallop on each one. Add the chives to the caviar butter sauce and spoon over the scallops. Serve right away.

The pancakes and caviar sauce can stand at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Rewarm the caviar sauce over low heat, stirring constantly.

Yield: 10 first course, 4 main course