Luke Nguyen’s Chargrilled Scallops in Champagne Butter Fish Sauce

Fresh seafood is practically synonymous with an Aussie Christmas! But if you really want to elevate your Fish Market haul this year, try this recipe for Luke Nguyen’s Chargrilled Scallops in a Champagne Butter Fish Sauce. As the ambassador for Champagne Lanson, the popular Vietnamese-Australian Chef suggests pairing it with Le Black Création – “whose fresh and elegant style balances the richness of the Champagne butter sauce, while its fine bubbles cleanse the palate between bites.”

INGREDIENTS

Char-grilled Scallops in a Champagne Butter Fish Sauce
12 large scallops, roe removed, placed on the half-shell
2 tbsp Ikura (salmon roe)
6 spring onions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
2 large red chilli, julienned
500g sea salt

Champagne Butter Fish Sauce
1 cup Lanson champagne
1 tbsp diced shallot
1/2 cup French unsalted butter
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger, julienne
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp thinly sliced green shallots

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a very small saucepan, simmer Champagne and shallot until reduced to 2 tablespoons,
   this will take less than five minutes. Take off heat and allow to slightly cool.
2. Meanwhile, place 1/2 cup French unsalted butter into a medium sauce pan and turn the
   heat to medium. Keep stirring until the butter melts and then turns light brown, about 5
   minutes. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the browned butter, fresh ginger, fish
   sauce, lime juice, thinly sliced green shallots, the reduced Champagne & mix.
3. Heat a chargrill or barbecue to high heat.
4. Brush the scallops with the Champagne butter.
5. Place the scallop shells directly onto the hot grill, then remove the meat and grill for one
   minute until charred on one side.
6. Now place the scallops back onto its shell (charred side up), then add a few teaspoons of the
   Champagne butter over each scallop and allow to cook and bubble away for a further 2
   minutes until the scallop shells are nice and charred.
7. Transfer the scallops to a serving platter lined with rock salt, add some ikura to each scallop
   & garnish with spring onion & chili.