Recipes: Savoring Spring

• Coat both sides of the scallops and set them aside. Julienne the vegetables, mix them together, then set them aside.

To make the sauce:

• Sauté the shallots till aromatic. Add brandy and let the alcohol evaporate. Add cream, letting it reduce until it coats the back of a spoon.
• Cook rice according to directions on the box. Roast crayfish tail meat with a dash of liquid smoke to warm through.
• In a hot pan sear the scallops three minutes on each side.
• Sauté the mixed vegetables and set aside.

To plate:

• Place rice in the center of the plate and top with 4 scallops. Ladle sauce around the rice and place the smoked crayfish tails in the sauce. Top the scallops with the julienned vegetables. Garnish with microgreens.

To make dressing:

• Place all ingredients except the oil in a blender. Mix the ingredients until they are well blended. With the blender on, drizzle oil in slowly and mix until smooth.

To make salad:

• Split the heads of baby romaine in half, taking out the center leaves and trimming off the core. Place the two halves of romaine across each other on the plate. Mix tomatoes and crispy pancetta with dressing and place them across the middle of the lettuce. Top with shaved Gouda cheese.

• Julienne all vegetables and set them aside. Place all berries in a pot with sugar, water and chipotle pepper. Let mixture simmer until berries break down, approximately 30 minutes.
• Strain through a china cap to remove the seeds.
• Take 1 ounce of the hoisin sauce and coat the duck breasts. Sear in a hot pan and finish in the oven to 145° F. Pull out and let rest.
• Julienne duck breast and set aside.
• Sauté vegetables with 1 ounce of hoisin sauce and let cool.
• Brush phyllo sheets with butter, placing five sheets together and cut them into four sections. Place approximately 1 ounce of vegetables and duck on top of the phyllo dough. Fold the end in and roll phyllo up sealing closed with melted butter. Brush outside of spring rolls with melted butter and place in a 375° F oven until golden brown.
• To plate, place sauce in center of plate and put one spring roll in the middle of the sauce. Cut another spring roll on bias and place half of it on the plate. Garnish with fried rice noodles.