Blackened Salmon and Grilled Scallop Napolean

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Chef Blair Burnside, Delta Halifax Hotel

Lemon Grass Skewered Blackened Salmon & Grilled Scallop Napoleon with grilled root vegetables, 
an Obsession chive beurre blanc and a spicy tarragon laced Lobster Bisque.

Root vegetables:
Take a turnip, sweet potato and Yukon gold potatoes and slice from each a 1/4-inch thick slice. The turnip should be 3-4 inches in length and approximately 2 ½-3 inches wide. The sweet potato should be smaller in diameter than the turnip and the potato smaller than the sweet potato. Blanch these three slices, the turnip in salted and turmeric water, the sweet potato and yukon gold potatoes in salted water. Blanch until about 3/4 cooked. immerse in cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Salmon and scallop:
From the loin cut a 4 ½ - 5 ½ oz. portion of salmon and season with blackening spice, pan sear until about half cooked, approx. 2 minutes per side. Reserve. Take one 10-20 size scallop, season and grill to give nice marks on both sides. Reserve.

Assembly of the napoleon:
Stack the turnip, sweet potato and potato one on top of the other, turnip on the bottom and the potato on top. With a paring knife make a small cut in the center of the stacked root vegetables to allow the spear of lemon grass to slide through. Place the salmon on top the root vegetables and the scallop on top of the salmon. Repeat the cutting of the hole in the salmon and scallop to allow the spear of lemon grass to slide through. Take a stalk of lemon grass and cut it into quarters. Take a quarter and cut the end into a point. Slide the spear through the scallop, salmon and into the root vegetables.

Cooking of the naploeon:
Brush the napolean with a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a hot oven, 350 degrees, and cook for 8-10 minutes until there is still a bit of pink in the salmon. Allow to rest.

Sauces:
Can be made ahead and reheated or kept warm on the side of the stove.

Obsession chive beurre blanc:
1 shallot, finely chopped
½ cup Obsession white wine
¼ cup light fish stock
4oz soft butter, unsalted, cut into pieces
½ oz chives, sliced fine
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.
Finely chop the shallot and sweat in a pan with a touch of olive oil until the shallot is translucent but has not taken any color.
Add the wine and the fish stock and reduce by half.
Reduce the heat and begin to incorporate the softened butter. As this is being incorporated the sauce should take on more body and a nice sheen.
Add the chopped chives to the sauce and adjust the seasoning with the salt and pepper. Keep warm in a squeeze bottle on the side of the stove.

Spicy lobster bisque:
a 1 ¼ pound live lobster
1 medium onion
1 celery rib
1 carrot
1 vine-ripened tomato
1 head garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chipotle peppers, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
8 black peppercorns
½ cup brandy
½ cup dry Sherry
4 cups fish stock
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup heavy cream
1 ½ Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water

1. Fill a 4-quart pot ½  full with salted water and bring to a boil. Plunge lobster headfirst into water and cook, covered, over high heat 8 minutes. Transfer lobster with tongs to a large bowl and in a measuring cup reserve 2 cups cooking liquid. Let lobster stand until cools enough to handle. Working over a bowl to catch the juices, twist off tail and claws and reserve juices. Reserve tomalley and discard head sacs and any roe. Remove meat from claws and tail, reserving shells and lobster body. (Lobster meat will not be cooked through.) Coarsely chop meat and transfer to a bowl. Chill lobster meat, covered.

2. Chop onion, celery, carrot, and tomato and halve garlic head crosswise. In a 6-quart heavy kettle heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté reserved lobster shells and body, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes. Add vegetables, garlic, herbs, peppercorns, brandy, and Sherry and simmer, stirring, until almost all liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add stock and reserved tomalley and cooking liquid. Simmer mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 1 hour.

3. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a large saucepan, pressing on and discarding solids. Whisk in tomato paste and simmer until reduced to about 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Add cream and chipotle peppers and simmer bisque 5 minutes. In a small bowl stir together cornstarch and water and whisk into bisque. Simmer bisque, stirring, 2 minutes. (Bisque will thicken slightly.) Add lobster meat with any reserved juices and simmer bisque 1 minute, or until lobster meat is just cooked through. Season bisque with salt and pepper.

Dish presentation:
In a large rimmed soup bowl spoon in about ¼ inch of the lobster bisque. Place the rested napoleon in the center of the plate, the soup coming up to the level of the turnip. Take the obsession beurre blanc that is in the squeeze bottle and make a zig zag design in front and behind the napoleon. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped chives. As a final garnish take 2 long chive sprigs and place them in the scallop where the spear of lemongrass is coming through. Serve and enjoy.

Source:  Blair Burnside's Award-winning cuisine

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