A recipe for a hot appetizer that’s perfect for the season and complex enough to call for a well-thought-out wine pairing. We recommend the 2018 Trentodoc Riserva 1673 from Cesarini Sforza.
The golden surface of the scallops, the tenderness of the cauliflower, and a crispy garnish of bread and hazelnuts create an appetizer that plays on different textures, complemented by a light hint of lemon.
The sweetness of the scallops and the creaminess of the cauliflower are balanced by the wine’s freshness and effervescence. Golden bread and hazelnuts echo the wine’s notes of aging on the lees; lemon zest adds aromatic zest without introducing the acidity of the juice.
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 12 large scallops, already cleaned, using only the adductor muscles
- 400 g cauliflower florets
- 1 small potato, about 80 g
- 40 g of homemade bread crumbs
- 25 g toasted hazelnuts
- 20 g butter
- 3 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil
- Zest from an untreated lemon
- A few sprigs of chives
- Salt and white pepper
Procedure:
Prepare the cream
Divide the cauliflower into small florets and cut the potato into cubes. Steam both until tender, about 15–20 minutes. While still hot, puree them with 10 g of butter, a tablespoon of oil, and a little hot water, adding the water gradually until you get a smooth, fairly thick purée. Season with salt and keep warm.
Now for the crispy part
Coarsely crumble the bread crumbs and toast it in a skillet with a tablespoon of oil. Add the hazelnuts , broken into irregular pieces, let them cook briefly to absorb the flavors, and transfer to a plate. Add a light grating of lemon zest.
Cook the scallops
Thoroughly pat the walnuts dry with paper towels. Heat a skillet with the remaining oil and arrange the scallops, leaving space between them. Sear for about 1½–2 minutes without moving them, then flip them and add the remaining butter. Continue cooking for another 1–2 minutes, depending on their thickness, until the outside is golden brown and the inside is slightly opaque but still juicy. Season with salt and a little white pepper.
Finish the dish
Spoon the warm cream onto the plates and place three scallops on each serving. Top with bread and hazelnuts—without completely covering the scallops—and a little finely chopped chives.
In the glass, chosen by Stefania Vinciguerra
Trentodoc Riserva 1673 2018 Cesarini Sforza
Straw-yellow in color with a dense, fine effervescence. Intense aromas, with notes of flint, lemon peel, roasted lemon, bergamot, and grapefruit, complemented by hints of pastries and dried fruit. On the palate, it is fresh and crisp, with good development and balance. Excellent length.
Production area: the Cembra Valley, in the most suitable high-altitude vineyards. South, southeast exposure; elevation 550–640 meters above sea level. Fluvial-glacial soils characterized by porphyritic sand. The marked temperature variation between day and night—mitigated by the Ora del Garda wind that flows into the valley—and the optimal exposure contribute to the perfect ripening of the grapes and the concentration of the typical, sought-after aromas in the clusters.
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay. Trentino-style single pergola and Guyot training systems. Planting density: 5,000 vines/ha. Yield: 45 hl/ha.
Harvest: Manual harvest between late August and the first decade of September.
Production Processes: Gentle pressing of whole grapes in a vertical Marmonier press. This is followed by static decanting of the musts and fermentation of only the free-run must at a controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks. Aging on the lees continues for at least 7 months. After bottling, which takes place no earlier than June, the wine undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle and remains on the lees for 70 months.
Alcohol content: 12.5% vol.
Operating temperature: Serve at 10–12 °C, in a medium-sized tasting glass.
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