Lemon-Poached Scallops with Caviar Limes for #WinePW

Wine Pairing Weekend - #winePW - happens on the second Saturday of the month. And this month - December - Cindy of Grape Experiences is hosting. She invited us to share our sparkling wine and holiday pairings. Just in time for the holidays! Click to read her invitation: here.

Wine Pairing Weekend Bloggers

Be sure to check out all the bloggers have come up with for Cindy's Sparkling Holiday Wine Pairing Weekend!

• Culinary Adventures with Camilla  will be “Celebrating with Lemon-Poached Scallops with Caviar Limes and Champagne”
• A Day in the Life on the Farm is excited to share “An Assortmentof Appetizers with a California Champagne”
• Curious Cuisiniere  has paired “Italian Panettone and Sparkling Wine”
• Confessions of a Culinary Diva is preparing to have “Champagne & Caviar Dreams”
• Pull That Cork  is “Celebrating In Style with Giulio Ferrari for #winePW”
• ENOFYLZ Wine Blog is planning “A 3-Course Sparkling Wine Dinner with Iron Horse Classic VintageBrut”
• Grape Experiences is excited for the holidays with “LeMedaillon Brut NV and Normandy Fondue”
• Dracaena Wines is ready to talk about “Why We Love Sparkling (And You Should, Too!)”
• WinePassItaly will be enjoying “Asti Spumante with Hazelnut and Torrone Semifreddo for #WinePW”
• FoodWineClick is preparing “Easy Holiday Appetizers & a Sparkler from South Africa”
• Cooking Chat Food is planning “Kale Pesto Crostini Wine Pairing That Sparkles”
• Rockin Red Blog is sharing "A Sparkling Good Food & Wine Pairing"

In My Glass

Champagne is one of those drinks that almost everyone likes. There's something about the effervescence that makes you happy. It's the bubbles, the elegant flutes, and the bubbles. Did I already say that?!

Cindy opened up the field to all sparkling wines, including Cava, Prosecco and Cremant. But I decided to open up some real Champagne. A quick primer: Champagne can only be grown in the Champagne region of France. It is made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. It must be made in the Méthode Traditionelle that requires the wine’s secondary fermentation take place in the same bottle from which it will be served.

The bottle I selected was Champagne Charles de Cazanove, a blend of 60% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, and 10% Chardonnay. The bubbles reminded me of tiny pearls on a background of silk. So luscious and lively. While it has a fruity nose, it's not at all sweet.

In the Middle of the Plate... 
To go with my champagne, I chose scallops which are labeled as a 'best choice' or 'good alternative on the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch. It's a resource I use all the time to check the sustainability of my seafood choices. And I added caviar limes because, well, I love the look of the caviar but with a burst of tangy citrus versus that gush of brine.

Lemon-Poached Scallops with Caviar Limes

Ingredients

• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• ½ C freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ C water
• ½ t se salt salt
• 1 pound scallops, washed and dried 
• caviar limes for garnish (click for an intro to caviar limes)
• freshly ground pepper for garnish
• olive oil for drizzling

Procedure

Place minced garlic, lemon juice, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and keep at a simmer for at least 5 minutes to let the flavors meld together.

Add scallops to the garlic-lemon mixture.  The liquid cover the scallops, if needed add additional water. Return liquid to a simmer, and cover the pan.

Scallops cook quickly. They are done when you press them and they are somewhat firm; smaller ones might only take 30 seconds, larger ones can take two minutes. Remove pan from heat and let scallops rest in liquid for 10 minutes more to fully absorb the garlic-lemon flavor. 

To serve: place the scallops on a plate. Squeeze half of a caviar lime on top of each scallop. Grind fresh pepper over the top and drizzle with a good quality olive oil. Serve immediately.

Join the #winePW conversation: 

Follow the #winePW conversation on Twitter throughout the weekend and beyond. If you're reading this early enough, you can join us for a live Twitter chat on our theme on Saturday, December 12, from 11 a.m. to noon Eastern Time.

And that's a Wrap...

...on our December #winePW event. Lemon-Poached Scallops with Caviar Limes pairing was delicious! I'll pin this recipe and other posts on my #winePW pinterest board. And if you try this pairing - or just the wine - I would love to hear what you think. Comment below or tweet to me at @Culinary_Cam.