Scallops and Bacon with a Smoked Mackerel Beurre Blanc

It is almost Christmas! And every year I am always doubting what to make for the Christmas dinner. For me, it is always a trade-off between convenience and trying to impress your guests. This dish has it all for me and is one of my favorites for the holiday season. 

Scallops are fancy and are not something you eat every week. If you buy only two per person and combine it with some bacon (I used Zeeuws spek) you can reduce your cost, while still having a luxurious dish.

This dish brings together the sweetness of scallops, the savory allure of spiced and smoked "Zeeuws spek" , and the crisp freshness of green asparagus. The accompanying smoked mackerel beurre blanc adds a luxurious touch, infusing the dish with a velvety and buttery essence. The process of making your own stock from scratch enhances the depth of flavors, ensuring a truly exceptional dining experience.You can also try to find smoked eel bones and trimmings with your fishmonger instead of the mackerel. I was only able to find a smoked mackerel with bones and this also was very delicious. Let us know if you made this dish for your Christmas dinner!
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Step 1
If you are making your stock from scratch, this is where we should start. First clean and rough-chop your vegetables. Add the fishbones and all the vegetables to a large pot and cover with about two liters of water, bring to a simmer and let this simmer on low heat for about 30-40 minutes. In the meantime skim any foam off the pan to create a nice and clear broth. After this 30 minutes simmer, we are going to strain the stock in another pot and put it back on medium-high heat, and continue till the stock is reduced to ⅓ of what you started with. 

‍Step 2
Now it is time to prepare the sauce. finely chop the shallot and sautee for 2 minutes on medium heat. add 200 ml of white wine and 200 ml of your already reduced stock. let this simmer until reduced by half and then strain out the onions and add your reduction back to the pan. Set this aside for now.

Step 3
Fill a small pan with water and bring to a boil. Then blanch your asparagus for about two minutes. Drain them and cool them down with cold water. Slice your bacon/zeeuws spek in thick slices and trim them until they almost have the size of a scallop. 

Step 4
Now it’s time to finish the dish. Put your saucepan on low heat with your reduction. Start with frying your bacon in a dry pan on medium heat until crispy golden brown. let them drain on a piece of kitchen paper and then sear your scallops for two minutes on the first side, so they turn nicely golden brown. On the other side I usually sear a little bit shorter because you don’t want to overcook them; about 60-90 seconds. 

Step 5
Finish the sauce by adding the cream to your warm reduction and simmer for 30 seconds. then turn off the heat and add your cubed cold butter in small batches while whisking and incorporating the butter in the sauce. serve the scallops and bacon on the asparagus. Add the beurre blanc sauce and the chives and flowers as garnish. Enjoy!