Damon Wise

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
November 1, 2005

CRAVINGS

Desserts
WD-50
Dungeness Crab
Oriental Garden

RECIPE

PAN-ROASTED NANTUCKET BAY SCALLOPs, ENDIVE, FALL APPLE CONSOMM…, SICHUAN PEPPERCORNS

Serves 4

Ingredients

32 pieces of Nantucket bay scallops
2 tart fall apples — Aacoun or Granny Smith — one sliced, one diced
4 heads endive
4 shallots — sliced
2 branches celery — sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup apple cider
1 lemon
Fresh thyme
Sichuan peppercorns
E.V.O. (extra virgin olive oil)
Fleur de sel

For the Fall Apple Consommé
6 shallots — sliced
2 branches celery — sliced
4 tart apples — sliced
1/4 cup Calvados
1/2 cup apple cider
2 cups chicken stock
Pinch toasted Sichuan peppercorns

Preparing the Endive
Half will be raw and half will be braised.

Split two heads of endive in quarters lengthwise, trimming each quarter of outside leaves and the core. Over medium heat, sweat the shallots, celery, and apples with the Sichuan peppercorns in olive oil, until tender. Add the liquids, half of the endive, thyme, and lemon (reserve some lemon juice for the garnish). Cook at a simmer until tender. Remove endive from liquid and cool.

Preparing the Fall Apple Consommé
This has to cook very slowly in order to clarify!

Sweat shallots, celery, apples, and Sichuan peppercorns over medium heat until tender. Add Calvados and flame. Once the alcohol is burned off, add the apple cider and reduce by half. Add the chicken stock, thyme sprigs and salt. Cook at a lazy simmer until perfectly clear and strain through a coffee filter. Keep hot.

Preparing the Garnish
Shave raw endive thin with a mandoline or sharp knife. Dress with reserved lemon juice, E.V.O., salt and pepper. Dress diced apple with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Getting It All Together
In a large sauté pan, foam a small amount of butter with E.V.O. Add the braised endive and let it caramelize. While it is caramelizing, season the scallops with salt & Sichuan peppercorns, and add them to the sauté pan with the endive. Once all is golden brown, remove and drain. Keep warm.

In four bowls, divide the caramelized endive and scallops. Add the hot consommé to each bowl and garnish with the dressed diced apple, raw endive salad, snipped chives, E.V.O., and fleur de sel.

Click here to read about our feature craving from Damon Wise at Craft.