Olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and herbs flavor this seafood sausage. Serve with ratatouille and saffron rice.
11/2 pounds bay scallops or sea scallops cut into 6 pieces each, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped oil-cured black olives
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons small capers, drained and rinsed
1. Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1/2 pound scallops, cover the pan, then remove the pan from the stove. Drain after 3 minutes; scallops will not be totally cooked. When cool enough to handle, chop scallops, and set aside.
2. While scallops poach, heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until shallot is translucent. Set aside.
3. Combine remaining scallops, egg whites, cream, and mayonnaise, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper in a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in a blender. Puree until smooth. Scrape mixture into a mixing bowl, and stir in chopped scallops, shallot mixture, olives, tomatoes, parsley, and capers. Cook 1 tablespoon of mixture on a microwave-safe dish for 30 seconds, covered with plastic wrap. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
4. Place a 12 x 12-inch sheet of plastic wrap on the counter in front of you. Place 1/6 of fish mixture in a line 6 inches long that begins 2 inches from the bottom edge of the plastic wrap. Roll up plastic wrap and squeeze seafood mixture to form a cylinder. Twist ends of plastic wrap tightly, and tie shut with kitchen string. Wrap entire sausage in a second sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining fish mixture to form a total of 6 sausages.
5. To poach sausages, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add sausages, reduce the heat to medium-low, and maintain water at a bare simmer of 180°F; attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan or take the temperature of the water frequently with an instant-read thermometer. Cook sausages for 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm. Remove one sausage to a plate with tongs and insert an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature is 155°F, sausages are done. If not, return to the pot and continue cooking. Remove sausages from the pan with tongs, and allow sausages to sit for 5 minutes. Then cut off plastic wrap, and serve immediately, or cool to room temperature still in the plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Note: Sausages can be refrigerated up to a day; they should not be frozen. Once cooked, they can be refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat them by lowering them into simmering water for 5 minutes, or in a microwave oven at 45-second intervals on Medium (50 percent power) until hot.