WATERVILLE, Maine — Waterville has a new restaurant in town -- Front & Main inside The Lockwood Hotel. Tonight, we meet Executive Chef Jesse Souza as he prepares Scallops with Red Flannel Hash from the kitchen of Front & Main. Chef Souza is a New England native, and Front & Main is now serving dinner seven days a week. For more information about their menu and hours, click here.
Seared Scallops with Red Flannel Hash and Mustard-Scallion Creme Fraiche
Chef Jesse Souza, Front & Main Restaurant, Waterville, Maine
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Sea Scallops, fresh, dry pack, 3 pounds
Slab bacon, diced, ½ pound
Garlic, minced, 1 tsp
Onion, diced, ¼ cup
Fennel, diced, ¼ cup
Potato, parsnip, turnip, carrot (or any mix of potato and root vegetables that you like), diced and par-cooked, 2 cups total
Red Beet, cooked, peeled, diced, 2 cups
Thyme & Rosemary, chopped, 1 tsp each
Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper, as needed
Olive Oil, as needed
Crème Fraiche, 1 cup
Grain Mustard, ¼ cup
Scallion, washed, thinly sliced, ¼ cup
Lemon Juice, 1 tsp
Salt & Pepper
Garnish options - snipped chives, picked dill, micro herbs, shaved radish
Equipment:
Heavy-bottomed, cast iron, and/or non-stick pans
Mustard-Scallion Crème Fraiche:
Stir together crème fraiche, mustard, lemon juice, scallions, and salt & pepper. Set aside.
Red Flannel Hash:
Heat skillet over medium heat and render bacon until crisp, then remove bacon and place on paper towel; reserve bacon fat. Add 2 tablespoons bacon fat back to pan and sauté onion, fennel, and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until softened and fragrant; then add potato and root vegetable mix and season well with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring regularly, until vegetables begin to caramelize and soften. Add beets, thyme, rosemary, and check seasoning; cook another 3-4 minutes.
Scallops:
Heat another skillet or non-stick pan over high heat; while heating skillet, season scallops well with kosher salt. Skillet should be hot enough that oil lightly smokes when added. Add olive oil, swirl to coat well, then carefully add the scallops, working in batches and not overcrowding pan. Once you have a golden brown crust on one side, flip and add a knob of butter, basting the melted butter over the scallops. Remove and keep warm while sautéing the remaining scallops.
To Plate:
Spoon crème fraiche and warm flannel hash onto plates, and divide scallops evenly between them. Garnish with your choice of chives, dill, herbs, and/or shaved radishes.
Enjoy! Front & Main features a farm-to-table menu, sourcing locally throughout Maine. To learn more, click here.