#TasteofThursday Seared Scallops with Sweet Corn Velouté | Mission Hill

“In this series I’ll share which B.C. wine pairs best with select recipes from the best chefs in B.C.” 

I am pleased to bring you another Provence Marinaside recipe. This one from Sous Chef Richard Hondier, and yes, that is popcorn you see on the dish. Isn’t that fun? What could be more delicious than smoky bacon and perfectly seared scallops paired with a BC Wine?

Seared Scallops with Sweet Corn Velouté

Created by: Richard Hondier, Sous Chef

Serves 8

Ingredients – Smoked Chicken Stock (make the day before)

3 oz.  smoked streaky bacon, sliced
6 cups chicken stock
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tsp. fresh Thyme leaves

Ingredients – Scallops with Velouté

5 corn on the cobs, raw  
6 cups Smoked chicken stock (make the day before, see below)
1 cup sliced white onion
2 cups milk
1½   cups whipping cream
8 rashers smoked streaky bacon
32 kernels of popped pop corn 
1 oz. fresh chives
24 fresh scallops
Olive oil and butter
Salt and white pepper

Preparation

• The day before, prepare the Smoked Chicken Stock – in a large stock pot fry the bacon over medium high heat until browned. Add in garlic continue cooking until it is lightly coloured. Add the thyme and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool down, cover, refrigerate overnight so the flavours will infuse.
• Next day –Preheat the oven to 300°F
• Shuck the corn cobs, drizzle with a little olive oil and microwave on high for 8 minutes
• Lay down 8 rashers of streaky bacon on a large baking tray, cover with another baking tray and bake in the oven until crispy – about 40 minutes depending on the thickness of bacon. Blot the slices on paper towels to remove any excess grease and set aside.
• While the bacon is cooking, remove cooked corn kernels from the cobs and set aside
• Cut each of the cooked cobs in 2” rounds and set aside
• In a large stock pot, sauté the onions with a nob of butter and a dash of olive oil until softened
• Season the onions with sea salt and white pepper to taste
• Add in the cooked corn and the chopped cobs, and continue to sauté for another 5 minutes
• Add in the reserved smoked chicken stock (not strained), milk and whipping cream
• Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes
• While the soup is cooking make the chive oil by pureeing the chives with 2 oz of olive oil in a blender. This will make more than you need so you can freeze the remainder in ice cube trays for future use.
• After 30 minutes, remove the corn cobs from the stock
• Puree the soup in a food processor, blender or with a hand blender to make the velouté 
• Pass through a fine sieve
• Sear the scallops in a hot pan with a little olive oil.

Plating

• Place 3 scallops in the middle of a shallow soup plate, place crispy bacon on top, pour the velouté around the scallops, gently place the popped corn on top of bacon and drizzle with the chive oil 

Suggested wine pairing:

Mission Hill Legacy Perpetua Chardonnay 2018

The Ultimate Expression of the Okanagan Valley. 

Perpetua means long-lasting… continuous, which represents to our family the  concept of generations – our roots and our future.  

Harvested from four individual blocks in our eastern Osoyoos and Naramata  Ranch vineyard estates. Historic French Burgundian Dijon clones were used for  this Chardonnay, lending a unique flavour and an aromatic profile. 

VINTAGE REPORT 

The 2018 harvest began earlier than anticipated due to above average growing  degree days in the spring. Summer arrived with cooler temperatures, encouraging  the fruit to develop beautiful acidity and allowing more time for full flavour  retention. One of the coolest Septembers on record followed, slowing down the  sugar accumulation and allowing the fruit to fully develop phenologically. Harvest  concluded on November 8, with the extended season yielding a crop of uniformly  ripened fruit with mouthwatering freshness and acidity. 

FLAVOUR PROFILE 

Bright fruit and incredibly fresh acidity highlight the 2018 vintage of Perpetua.  Notes of stone fruit, citrus, and flint are highlighted by a fine lemon acidity and  seductive textures. Harmonious integration of fruit, oak, and texture.  

VARIETAL | 100% Chardonnay

Legacy Collection

The Legacy Collection is Mission Hill Family Estate’s ultimate expression of the Okanagan Valley. The grapes are hand-harvested and hand-sorted, consisting of the top 1% of the harvest from all of our vineyards. They benefit from extended barrel aging which is followed by a 24-month period in-bottle prior to release.

These wines are small lot and limited production collectibles. Cellar-worthy, you can age them for decades. The collection includes Compendium, Quatrain, Prospectus, Perpetua and our flagship wine, Oculus.

 Sold out on the Mission Hill website. Available in select wine stores and BC Liquor Stores

Recipe and images provided by Nancy Wong, Culinary Communications. Food, wine & restaurant photos by Emrys Horton, EPH Photography.

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