To
make the bouquet garni, take several parsley stems, celery leaves,
and sprigs of thyme and wrap them in the green part of a leek
and securely fasten with cotton twine.
Rinse the scallops and pat dry. Remove and discard the little
muscle on the side of the scallops, then cut each scallop in
half horizontally (so that you and up with 16 little disks),
and set aside.
In a
small skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. When it's
hot, add the matchstick leeks and cook for 2 to 3 minutes,
just until soft. Season to taste. Set aside and keep warm.
In a
medium saucepan, combine the shallots and 1 tablespoon of
the butter over moderate heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until
the shallots brown. Add the chopped leeks and cook for 1 to
2 minutes more. Add the vermouth, matchstick ginger, and bouquet
garni, and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed (2 to
3 minutes). Add the cream and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until
reduced by half.
Strain
through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pan. Whisk in the remaining
1 tablespoon of butter, and add the minced ginger. Taste for
seasoning. This sauce may be prepared up to 30 minutes in
advance - just keep it warm, loosely covered, in the top of
a double boiler over low heat.
Prepare
the plates by spooning 4 small mounds of matchstick leeks
in the center of each plate. Spoon the sauce evenly over the
plates, covering the leeks. Set aside.
Heat
a large nonstick frying pan over high heat (don't add any
fat or oil). Add the scallops and cook just until they brown
around the edges, 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side. Season
each side after it has cooked. Cooking time will vary according
to the size of the scallops, and on how well done you like
them. For scallops that are cooked all the way through, sear
for 1 minute on each side.
Carefully
transfer the scallops to the prepared plates. Place a scallop
on top of each mound of leeks, with the side that was cooked
last facing up. Serve immediately.
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