Scallops "au Gratin" With Oka and Mushrooms

J. Ko's Note:

This recipe is posted in response to a request in the French Cheese of the Week thread in the French, Creole and Cajun Cuisine forum. Oka is a French-Canadian cheese named after the small village of Oka, Quebec where it originated in 1893. Oka cheese is a Port-Salut style cheese and was originally made by Trappist Monks at the Abbaye Cistercienne d'Oka, using a recipe they brought from Brittany. It has a pungent aroma and soft creamy flavour, sometimes described as nutty and fruity. Oka is covered with a copper-orange, hand-washed rind. The preparation time is approximate, as some people move more quickly than others. This recipe comes from the Agropur Company, which is the company which has taken over production of Oka cheese.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 6 ounces oka cheese , sliced
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces mushrooms , sliced
• 20 very large fresh sea scallops
• 2 shallots , finely chopped
• ¼ cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons oranges , lemon and lime zest, finely grated
• ¼ cup 15% cooking cream (half and half cream)
• ½ cup butter , diced
• salt & freshly ground black pepper , to taste
• thin strips orange , lemon and lime zest, blanched
• 1 tablespoon chives , finely chopped

Directions:

1. Melt 2 tbsp (30ml) of butter in a frying pan. Cook mushrooms until golden. Salt and pepper to taste and set aside, keeping warm.
2. Cook scallops in 2 tbsp (30ml) of butter in the same pan for approximately 1 minute per side, depending upon the thickness of the scallops. (You want them slightly undercooked as they will finish cooking under the broiler.) Salt and pepper to taste and arrange in an ovenproof dish. Set aside.
3. Add shallots to pan and cook for two minutes over medium heat until soft. De-glaze the pan with wine and reduce by half. Stir in the citrus juice and zest, followed by cream. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.
4. Whisk in diced butter until it is melted and sauce is smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a sieve and set aside.
5. Place a slice cheese on each scallop. Broil until cheese melts and starts to cover scallops, without browning (note: preserving the rind adds more flavour).
6. On each of four dinner plates, arrange the cooked mushrooms in a mound and add five scallops, spooning on the sauce.
7. Add garnish if desired.