Pairing with Friends: Scallops, Sambuca & Aquavit

When two of my friends from Alexandria, Va., came to Portland for a visit, I jumped at the chance to play culinary tour guide. My friend James is a personal chef, so after many meals out on the town, he treated us to an amazing meal at home as a thank you for playing host. I was in charge of cocktails for our first course—scallops with sambuca cream sauce. To riff off the anise flavor in the dish, I paired it with an aquavit creation I’ll call the Nordix. I mixed tangy, spicy blood orange gastrique (page 76, Jan/Feb 2008) with aquavit. One word sums up the whole evening: Yum! For more cocktail and food pairing ideas, turn to page 34 of our March/April issue.
—Siobhan Crosby

Nordix
2 oz. aquavit
1 oz. blood orange-coriander gastrique
1/2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
Ice
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: cocktail
Garnish: blood orange wheel

Shake ingredients together with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a blood orange.

Scallops with Sambuca Cream Sauce
from James Main, Main Course Personal Chef Service
4 large scallops
salt, to taste
1/2 Tbps. butter
1 1/5 oz sambuca
1/2 cup heavy cream

Season scallops with salt. Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in small saute pan over medium/medium-high heat until it’s caramel colored. Sear scallops about 5 to 8 minutes on each side, remove scallops from pan and remove pan from heat. Using the same pan, add 1 to 2 ounces sambuca to deglaze. Return to medium heat, carefully ignite alcohol with a grill lighter. When alcohol burns off and the flame dies you will be left with a syrupy glaze. Add cream to the pan, turn hear to low and reduce mixture until it thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Serve scallops on bed of microgreens, if desired, pour sauce over top and serve immediately. Serves 4