by Oui, Chef
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Expand3/4 cups Lentils du Puy, or French green lentils Ask a question about this ingredient
1 carrot, cut in small dice Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 bulb of fennel, cut in small dice (completely dice a full bulb of fennel, 1/2 will be used here for the lentils, the other half will be used for the fennel cream) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 shallot, finely minced Ask a question about this ingredient
1 clove of garlic, finely minced Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 pound of slab bacon, cut into lardons Ask a question about this ingredient
1 bay leaf Ask a question about this ingredient
1-2 teaspoon dijon mustard (to taste) Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons butter Ask a question about this ingredient
3 cups water Ask a question about this ingredient
kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste Ask a question about this ingredient
12 Large Sea Scallops (technically these aren't part of the lentils recipe, but I wanted to make sure they got onto the ingredient list, this recipe calls for 3 large per person, use more or less as desired Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 bulb of fennel, cut in small dice Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon shallot, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
1 clove garlic, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
1/8 teaspoon crushed fennel seed Ask a question about this ingredient
1/4 cup dry white wine Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup chicken stock Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup heavy cream Ask a question about this ingredient
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste Ask a question about this ingredient
reserved fennel fronds for garnish Ask a question about this ingredient
zest of 1 lemon, micro-planed Ask a question about this ingredient
Rinse the lentils with cold water, check for pebbles or other debris and set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of pan, then add the chopped shallot, garlic, fennel, and carrot. Turn heat to medium low and cook gently until softened and just starting to take color. Add the lentils, water and bay leaf, turn flame to high and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and gently cook for 25-30 minutes, until most (if not all) of the water has evaporated and the lentils are cooked just to al dente.
Ask a question about this stepWhile the lentils are cooking, cook the lardons over medium heat until nicely browned and slightly crisp, but don’t render all their fat, you want them with a little chew. Drain on paper towels and reserve.
Ask a question about this stepYou can also make the fennel cream while the lentils are cooking. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, cook garlic, fennel, fennel seed, and shallot in a little olive oil until translucent. Add the wine, turn up the heat and reduce until almost all the liquid is gone. Add the stock and reduce in the same manner. Add the cream and reduce by half, remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour the cream into a blender and mix on high until very smooth. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a small pan, season to taste with salt and pepper and cover to keep warm.
Ask a question about this stepWhen the lentils have finished cooking, strain away any excess water and return the lentils to the saucepan, removing the bay leaf at this time. Add the lardons to the lentils, along with the mustard and butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm by the stove.
Ask a question about this stepSeason scallops with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches if needed, melt 1 tablespoon butter per batch with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallops and cook until brown, about 2 minutes per side.
Ask a question about this stepDivide lentils among 4 plates. Arrange 3 scallops atop lentils on each plate. Spoon fennel cream around lentils and scallops and serve decorated with a fresh fennel fond, and micro-planed lemon zest.
Ask a question about this stepThat's terrific! I'm so glad you liked it, and thanks for letting me know. Cheers - S
hello, I know this site recently. this is the first of your recipes that I did. I just returned from my trip to "Bretagne" and I brought with me the scallops, so I took this nice recipe for cooking a nice product. This is a huge success. Merci chef!
Thanks, Winnie. Hey, I've been gone for so long, you probably forgot my name. It's nice to be back.
the fennel cream alone makes me want to make this...
I had fennel and cream on hand. I made your fennel cream with my roasted chicken and fingerling potatoes tonight. I stuck some fennel and lemon in the cavity of the chicken. It all worked out well. Thanks for the inspiration.
You're welcome. I bet it's great with chicken. In fact, part of my inspiration for the cream came from a morel cream sauce that I had served to me with chicken at a fabulous restaurant in Burgundy a few years back. I had to ask for extra bread to sop it all up.
Great flavor and texture combination. I especially love the idea of the fennel cream - can I just eat that with a spoon?
Of course you can! I know this because I had a go at it myself the other night with a spoon. If I were you I'd use a soup spoon, I found that a teaspoon just didn't get the job done.
I love scallops, lentils and fennel together! This looks like a great recipe!
This looks and sounds fantastic. I love scallops and lentils together, and the fennel cream just knocks this out of the park. Wow.
Thanks! The cream is so good that I thought long and hard this morning about how I could incorporate it into my breakfast.
Thanks, Merrill. It's nice to be back, and I look forward to getting caught up on all the good food that's been happening here while I've been gone. Cheers - S
Cathy is the author of The Art of Eating In and blogs at Not Eating Out in New York.
I tried this last night. It was wonderful! My friend and I cleaned our plates. I thought the fennel cream was tasty and looked pretty on the plate, but it was not essential, as most of the flavors in the cream are also in the lentils. So if I'm short on time next time I make this (and it will definitely be made again in my house) I might skip the fennel cream. I added a light sprinkle of fennel pollen to the finished plate since I had it on hand. Thank you Oui, Chef!