Diver Scallops With Vegetable Ragout And Caviar

Directions

1. To make the Scallop Butter Sauce: Combine the reserved scallop scraps, 1/4 c. water, and the white wine in a small nonreactive saucepan. Set the pan over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Cook till the liquid has reduced by half, about 7 min. Add in cream; boil till liquid has reduced by half, about 10 min. Remove pan from heat, and whisk in the butter, piece by piece. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
2. Remove and reserve small muscle flaps from sea scallops. Bring a stockpot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add in the potatoes, and cook till tender, 15 to 20 min. Drain potatoes. Cut potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick rounds, and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
3. Bring a stockpot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat, and prepare an ice bath. Trim bottoms from Brussels sprouts. Peel away the inner leaves, one by one. Add in carrot to boiling water, and cook till tender, about 4 min. Using a slotted spoon, transfer carrot to bowl with the potatoes. Add in the leaves of the Brussels sprouts to the boiling water, and cook till just tender, about 3 min. Using a slotted spoon, transfer leaves to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain in a colander, and add in leaves to bowl with carrots and potatoes.
4. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 c. water to a boil. Add in the cream, and return to a boil. Boil 2 min, reduce heat to low, and whisk in the butter, piece by piece. Add in the reserved potatoes, carrots, and brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper. Cook till the vegetables are heated through, keep hot.
5. In a 12-inch nonstick saute/fry pan, heat the oil over high heat till very warm but not smoking. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Cook scallops till golden on bottoms, about 3 min. Using kitchen tongs, turn scallops; reduce heat to medium. Cook scallops till other sides have browned, but are still rare inside, about 2 min.
6. Reserving 1 c. vegetable ragout, divide equal amounts of the remaining ragout among four hot dinner plates. Arrange 3 scallops on top, then top each with 1/4 c. reserved ragout. Spoon the scallop-butter sauce around the plates, and sprinkle with chives. Garnish each dish with equal amounts of caviar, and serve immediately.
7. Serves 4.
8. Cuisine: "Mexican"
9. NOTES : Alfred Portale is the author of "Alfred Portale's Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook" (Doubleday, 1997; $45)