Scallops with Potato Pancakes and Caviar Sauce

Well I wanted to use up the caviar I had left over from the pizza I had made.  I found this one and thought well, I love, scallops, potato pancakes, creme fresh and butter, how could this be bad.  During the prep, I was worried that the end result wouldn't be worth the investment of the ingredients.  I was so very wrong.  It was not a simple recipe, but it was very tasty.  The butter is worth making, even alone.  The potato pancakes as well.  The scallop method was not perfect, but still alright. The recipe did call for slightly larger scallops, so that may have made a difference.  I will say that I made one small deviation, I used lime as I didn't have lemon for the juice. We all really liked this a LOT! I am excited to make it again for guests.  It is technically an appetizer (2 pieces as a portion for each), but we just ate more and added a salad. Yummy!


Scallops With Potato Pancakes And Caviar Sauce
Yield: 10 Servings
Pancakes
1 lb baking potatoes,peeled
1    large egg,lightly beaten
1/4 c  matzo meal
1/4 c  grated onion
Salt
Vegetable oil,for frying
Scallops and Caviar Sauce
1 1/2 c  Champagne
9    black peppercorns
3    thyme sprigs
1    bay leaf
1    large shallot,thinly sliced
1 t  fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 T  crème fraîche
1 1/2    (6 ounces) cold unsalted butter,cut into tablespoons
1    ounce caviar
Salt
Vegetable oil,for frying
20    medium sea scallops (1 pound)
2 T  minced chives
[Note: The pancakes and caviar sauce can stand at room temperature
for up to 2 hours. Rewarm the caviar sauce over low heat, stirring
constantly. . Make Ahead   ]
1.Coarsely shred the potatoes and squeeze out any excess liquid.
Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the egg, matzo meal, onion and a
large pinch of salt. Shape the mixture into 20 scallop-size cakes,
about 1/2 inch thick; press the cakes to compress them.
2.In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering.
Working in batches, fry the pancakes over moderately high heat until
browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Lower the heat if the
pancakes brown too quickly and add more oil if necessary. Transfer the
pancakes to a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
3.Preheat the oven to 325. In a small saucepan, combine the Champagne
with the peppercorns, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, shallot and lemon juice
and boil over high heat until reduced to 1 tablespoon, about 15 minutes.
Strain the sauce into another small saucepan. Stir in the creme frache
and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Remove from the heat and stir
in the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in the caviar and
season lightly with salt. Cover the sauce and keep it warm.
4.Wipe out the skillet and heat 1/4 inch of oil in it until shimmering.
Season the scallops with salt and add half of them to the skillet. Cook
over high heat until richly browned, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.
Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the remaining scallops.
5.Rewarm the potato pancakes in the oven. Arrange the pancakes on a
platter and set a scallop on each one. Add the chives to the caviar
butter sauce and spoon over the scallops. Serve right away.