White Truffle Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon white truffle oil
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Uni Risotto with Seared Japanese Scallops, Truffle Vinaigrette and Ikura

Recipe courtesy Chef Rodelio Aglibot, Koi, Los Angeles
FoodNetwork.com

Cook Time:  25 min
Level:  Easy
Yield:  1 serving

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup prepared risotto cooked in dashi
• 2 tablespoons uni puree (reduced cream with ratio of 1-ounce uni to 1 1/2 cups cream)
• 2 (10/20 count) scallops, preferably "dayboat" or Japanese
• Salt and white pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pieces fresh uni
• 1 teaspoon ikura (salmon roe)
• 1 teaspoon truffle vinaigrette (either store-bought or homemade), or sherry vinaigrette finished with white truffle oil

Directions
As the risotto finishes cooking, stir in the uni puree to coat the risotto. Set aside and keep warm.

Remove the "foot" of the scallops and pat them dry. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add scallops and sear until golden brown on 1 side. Turn scallops over and sear on the other side until golden brown and just cooked through in the middle. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

To serve, place risotto in a bowl and top with scallops. Carefully position a piece of uni on each of the scallops. Garnish with ikura and drizzle with truffle vinaigrette.

Shakshuka

from Tasting Table
Recipe adapted from John Gorham, Tasty n Sons, Portland

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced roasted green peppers (about 2 peppers; see Note)
1 cup thinly sliced roasted red peppers (about 2 peppers; see Note)
¾ teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon piment d'Espelette or red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
1 small bay leaf
1 cup whole canned tomatoes, with juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large eggs
Crusty bread, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large, ovenproof skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the garlic and cook until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the paprika, piment d'Espelette, sugar and bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes longer.

2. Preheat the oven to 400˚. Add the tomatoes and their juice to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down, about 20 minutes longer. Discard the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper.

3. Bring the sauce back to a simmer. Crack the eggs over the sauce so that they are evenly distributed across the surface. Transfer to the oven and bake until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still soft and runny, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.

Note: To roast the peppers, place the peppers on a hot grill or hold them over a gas flame on the stove until black and blistered on all sides. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 15 minutes. Peel, seed and stem the peppers. Set aside until ready to use.