Recipe: Roasted Scallops with Celery Roots & Hearts, Brown Butter & Lemon

Foods fresh from the fields and oceans are unbeatable when it comes to flavour and sustainability. Loblaw Food Council Member Chef Ned Bell offers delicious environmentally conscious earth-to-dish meals you can replicate at home.

Whether cooking for six or six hundred in his role as Ocean Wise Executive Chef at the Vancouver Aquarium, Chef Ned Bell’s cooking philosophy is globally inspired and locally created.

Appetizer

Dish: Pan Seared Shrimp Toast with Tomato, Lime & Kimchi Mayo
Serving Size: 4 people

Ingredients:

Prawns:
– 12 ASC-certified President’s Choice farmed jumbo pacific white shrimp (pan seared or baked based on your preferred method of cooking)
– 1 tbsp butter
– 1 tsp sea salt
– 1 tbsp lime juice

Toast:
– 1 loaf of your favourite bread (baguette)
– 1 clove of garlic
– Olive oil

Oven Roasted Tomato, Lime & Kimchi Mayo:
– 1 cup store bought mayonnaise
– ¼ cup drained prepared kimchi (fermented cabbage)
– 1 lime, juice and zest
– ¼ tsp sea salt
– 2 tbsp tomato paste
– ½ tsp siracha hot sauce (optional)
– Herbs (chives or scallions)

To Pan Sear the Prawns:
РIn a medium-large sized fry/saut̩ pan, over medium-high heat, add the canola oil, add the prawns and pan sear until cooked through, approximately 2-3 minutes total
– Add 1 tbsp whole butter, squeeze 1 tbsp lime juice in the pan to finish the cooking and flavor the shrimp

Toast:
– Cut the loaf of bread into ½ slices, rub each slice with a clove of garlic and brush the bread with olive oil
– Once brushed, toast the bread in a pre-heated 325 degree oven until light golden brown

Oven Roasted Tomato, Lime & Kimchi Mayo:
– In a Vita Prep blender, puree everything together, place in an airtight container and set aside. This will last for a week.

To Assemble the Dish:
– Spread 1 tbsp of the kimchi mayo on each piece of toast
– Place 2 shrimp on top and garnish with 1 tsp of chopped herbs (chives or scallions) and zest some lime on top

Main

Dish: Roasted Scallops with Celery Roots & Hearts, Brown Butter & Lemon
Serving Size: 4 people

Ingredients:

Scallops:
– 12 MSC-certified President’s Choice Blue Menu Wild Nova Scotian Sea Scallops (pan seared or baked based on your preferred method of cooking)
– 1 tbsp butter
– 1 tsp sea salt
– 1 tbsp lemon juice
Vegetable Stock:
– 1 medium bulb fennel, green tops removed
– 1 medium white onion, outer skins removed
– 3 stalks celery (keep the tender yellow leaves of the celery hearts for garnish)
– 2 medium leeks, dark greens removed
– 1 head of garlic
– 2 bay leaves
– 1 tbsp black peppercorns

Celery Root Puree:
– 2-3 lbs. peeled and chopped celery root
– 3 tbsp of whole butter
– 1 tsp sea salt
– ¼ – ½ cup of vegetable stock

Roasted Celery Root:
– 1 lb. of celery root (¼ inch diced)
– Canola Oil
– 1 cup of vegetable stock
– 1 tbsp whole butter
– 1 tsp of fresh thyme

To Pan Sear the Scallops:
РIn a medium-large sized fry/saut̩ pan, over medium-high heat, add the canola oil, add the scallops and pan sear until barely cooked through, approx. 2-3 minutes total
– Add 1 tbsp whole butter, squeeze 1 tbsp lemon juice in the pan to finish the cooking and flavor the scallops
– At this point, the butter will go a bit brown – this adds a delicious flavor as you baste the scallops

To Cook the Vegetable Stock:
– Roughly chop the vegetables into 2 inch chunks
– In a large pot, cover the vegetables with cold water (approx. 5 liters) and bring to a simmer, cook for 25 minutes over medium heat
– Strain the veggie stock, discard the cooked vegetables and reserve the broth
– You can use this broth/stock for vegetable soups, risottos and puree (like the celery root puree below)

To Create the Celery Root Puree:
– This is a fantastic puree, creamy, delicious, and velvety.
– Peel and chop 2-3 lbs. of celery root
– Cover the chopped celery root with vegetable stock (approx. 1.5 liters) and simmer in a medium size pot until the celery root is tender and cooked through completely (do not over-cook but make sure it is very tender)
– Strain the celery root and puree in a Vita Prep with 3 tbsp of whole butter
– Add 1 tsp sea salt and ¼ – ½ cup of the vegetable stock
– Set the puree aside and keep warm

To Make the Roasted Celery Root:
– Peel and dice 1 lb. of celery root (¼ inch diced)
РIn a medium sized fry/saut̩ pan, over medium-high heat, add the canola oil, add the diced celery root and pan sear until golden brown and lightly caramelized
– Once caramelized, add 1 cup of the vegetable stock and continue to cook over medium-heat for approx. 2-3 minutes
– Add 1 tbsp whole butter and 1 tsp of fresh thyme, remove from heat and set aside

To Assemble the Dish:
– To assemble the dish, spoon the puree onto the plate or platter, add the diced and roasted celery root, the brown butter roasted scallops and the celery leaves.
– Optional garnish: Thinly shave some fennel bulb on a mandolin, ultra-thin, garnish the scallop plate, pick some fennel frowns and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
– Enjoy!

Dessert

Dish: Lime Curd Pavlova with Fresh Berries
Serving Size: 4 people

This is a fantastic recipe and can be made with lime, lemon, orange or any citrus fruit.

Ingredients:

– 180 ml fresh lime juice
– 5 limes, juice and zest
– 4 whole eggs
– 340 grams sugar
– 170 grams whole butter, unsalted
– 1 sheet gelatin
– 1 President’s Choice meringue nest
– Fresh seasonal berries
– Mint leaves
– Zest of an orange

Method:
– In a stainless steel bowl whisk together eggs, sugar, lime juice (both) and lime zest
– Add cubed butter to the bowl, and over a pot of simmering water, whisk the mixture for 20 minutes, whisking constantly until mixture thickens to coat a spoon
– Once thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin
– Strain the mixture through the mesh strainer and then pour into the Tupperware container
– Cover with cling film directly on the lime curd so as to prevent a skin from forming when cooling
– Place container in the fridge for an hour

To assemble the dish:
– After cooled, spoon 3 ounces of the lime curd into a pre made/store bought Pavlova meringue or pre made sweet crust tart shell
– Garnish with fresh seasonal berries, a berry sauce, some fresh mint leaves and the zest of an orange
– Enjoy this light, tangy, delicious and versatile summer dessert!