White Asparagus & Seared Scallops in Tomato-Tarragon Vinaigrette

Tarragon is a herb I lately kind of rediscovered, mainly perhaps because I actually grow it myself in our hotels little herb garden and the beginning of the wet season seems to become it well and it just keeps on growing and I can get it in abundance. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 8 piece sea scallops 30-40 gram/ 1- 1½ oz per piece
• 8 pieces white asparagus cooked
• pea sprouts for garnish
• sea salt flakes
• white pepper from the mill
• 1/2 lime juice only

For the dressing:

• 80 grams tomatoes diced, peeled, deseeded
• 1 clove garlic chopped finely
• 20 grams shallots chopped finely
• 80 milliliters olive oil virgin
• 20 milliliters Xeres vinegar
• 5 grams tarragon leaves roughly chopped
• 20 grams sweet mustard or grain mustard and honey
• sea salt
• white pepper from the mill

Instructions

• Prepare the white asparagus as outlined in the recipe tender white asparagus.
• Split lengthwise in half and set aside.
• Clean the scallops by rooming the side mussel from the tender meat, then slice them in half horizontally. Season with the sea salt, white pepper and lime juice.
• Seared them rapidly over very high heat, so the scallops are seared on both sides but still medium in the middle. Set aside.
• In a bowl, combine the mustard, with the chopped shallots and garlic. In a steady stream and under constant stirring add the virgin olive oil and the vinegar alternatively, to achieve a well emulsified vinaigrette. Add the tomato dice and the tarragon leaves, and season to taste. Infuse the vinaigrette for at least 20 minutes before serving.
• In a microwave, just lightly warm the white asparagus an then place them on to your serving dish.
• Neatly arrange the warm scallops on top of the asparagus. With a spoon, remove the solid part of the vinaigrette and dress it lengthwise on to the scallops. Drizzle the dish with the liquid of the vinaigrette, decorate with the pea shoots and sprinkle cracked pepper from the mill.