POTATO CRUSTED SCALLOPS WITH FONDUE PIQUANTE E. Lagasse

5 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped onions
3 tablespoons chopped green bell peppers
2 tablespoons chopped celery
1 tablespoon seeded and minced jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
Salt and cayenne
1 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
3 bay leaves
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

2 white potatoes, peeled and cut in half
White pepper
8 sea scallops
Essence
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Long chives

In a non reactive saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions peppers, celery, jalapenos, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Season with salt and cayenne. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves and stock. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to

a simmer. Cook the sauce for 20 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat. Using a hand held blender, puree the sauce until smooth. Add the heavy cream and puree until incorporated. Re season the sauce if needed. Using the Suzy Wong Threader, thread the potatoes through the machine, forming long curls of the potato. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Season the scallops with Essence. Rub each scallop with ½ teaspoon of the Dijon mustard. Fold four linen cloths in half. Divide the threaded potatoes between the four cloths. Divide the individual piles of potatoes in half. So you should have eight piles of threaded potatoes divided between four linen cloths. Place the scallops in the center of the potato piles. Wrap each scallop with the potatoes, covering the scallops completely. Tightly wrap the potato wrapped scallops up in the linen cloth. This will help the potatoes from discoloring too much. In a large saute pan, heat the remaining olive oil. When the oil is hot, pan‑fry the potatoes for 3 minutes on each side or until the potatoes are golden brown. Remove the potatoes from the pan and drain on a paper lined plate. Season with salt and pepper. To assemble, spoon a small pool of the sauce in the center each plate. Lay two potato crusted scallops in the center of the sauce. Garnish with long chives.

Yield: 4 servings