This month, Mark and Tiffany Candelaria will be joined by Chef Cory Oppold former winner of Food Network’s Chopped, and founder of Course, an in-home dining and catering company.
Cory is known for designing his dishes into masterpieces and in this cooking class he will teach us one of his signatures: Seared Scallops with cornbread pudding, zucchini, fennel soubise, and tomato coulis. He will also walk us through the art of plating this delicious dish and why presentation is important.
PAN SEARED SCALLOPS
4 Large Scallops
2 Sprigs of Thyme
2 T Grapeseed Oil
Salt tt
2 T of Unsalted Butter
1 Place a pan on High Heat.
2 Add oil and wait for the oil to smoke.
3 Season the Scallops and place in pan.
4 Cook on 1 side for 2 minutes and nicely caramelized.
5 Flip Scallops and add butter and thyme. Allow butter to caramelize while basting Scallops.
6 Remove Scallops to a Paper Towel to drip before plating.
CORN BREAD PUDDING
Cornbread
DRY INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Yellow Corn Meal
1 Cup A P Flour
2 T Sugar
4 t Baking Powder
½ t Salt
WET INGREDIENTS
1 Cup milk
1 Egg
¼ Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Mix All Dry Ingredients
2 Mix All Wet Ingredients
3 Mix wet into Dry.
5 Place into pan and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
6 Cool in pan
CORNBREAD PUDDING
BASE
3 Cups Milk
¼ Cup Cream
1 Cup Sugar
2 Cups Roasted Corn Cocoa Powder
2 Garlic Cloves
7 Eggs
1 t Salt
1 Puree all BASE ingredients in a blender till smooth
2 Pour BASE on cubed Corn Bread and allow to soak for 1 hour.
3 Transfer Soaked Bread to a Food Processor and Puree till smooth
4 Pour Mixture into a baking dish and cover with foil
5 Place pan into a water bath and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees.
6 Chill and Cube
7 Heat to order.
FENNEL SOUBISE
1 whole Fennel
1 Onion
2 T Butter
½ Cup Milk
1 t Grape seed Oil
Salt to taste
Red Wine Vinegar
1 Heat Butter with 1 cup of water
2 Slice Onion thinly and cook in butter water with a pinch of salt on low heat till melted with no color till the onions are melted. Add more water if needed so no color develops.
3 Cut Off Stalk of Fennel and pick nice Fennel fronds.
4 Chop Fennel Stalks and Place in pot and Cover with water. Bring to Boil and Simmer for 30 minutes to make fennel stock. Turn off heat and allow the stock to sit till ready for use.
5 For the Fennel Bulb – Thinly Slice a couple Slices of Fennel From the top and reserve in cold water for garnish. Slice the rest of the fennel and toss with 1 t of oil and salt. Place in tightly sealed aluminum foil and cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the fennel is tender.
6 When Fennel is tender, add to the onion mixture. Strain Fennel Stock over top and bring to a simmer.
7 Add ½ Cup of Cream.
8 Place Mixture in a blender and blend on high speed till smooth. Season with salt and Red Wine Vinegar. Strain.
CONFIT TOMATO COULIS
5 Roma Tomatoes, Peeled and Quartered
5 Sprigs of Thyme
1 Cup Grape seed Oil
Salt to taste
Red Wine Vinegar
1 Scatter Thyme on a ½ Sheet Tray and Lay Tomatoes evenly across “Cut Side Up”.
2 Pour Oil over top and season with Salt.
3 Place into a 225 Degree oven for 6-8 Hour to lightly Dry.
4 When the tomatoes are lightly dried, Separate the tomatoes in a container.
5 Strain the oil.
6 Place the Tomatoes in a blender with ½ cup of water.
7 Blend on high speed till smooth. Turn Blender to low and slowly drizzle in the oil to emulsify. Season with salt and Red Wine Vinegar.
PLATING
4 Cooked Scallops
Fennel Velouté
4 Cubes of Corn Bread Pudding (Heated in Oven till Hot)
Tomato Coulis (Warm in Squirt Bottle)
4 Baby Zucchinis Blanched, Warmed and Seasoned
Shaved Fennel tossed with Oil and Seasoned.
Fennel Fronds (Garnish)
Sprigs of baby Parsley (Garnish)