Whether celebrating a weekend of glorious weather, a wedding, a birthday or simply getting together with old friends, you may well find you have a little fizz left over: don’t throw it away! It is a luxury to open a bottle, so we should make the most of every drop, writes Martin Hollis, executive chef at The Old Course St Andrews.
For me the obvious option is to use any remaining champagne to make a delicious white sauce, just as you would with white wine.
This month we’re using fabulous, West Coast scallops and serving them with an indulgent creamy, champagne sauce.
For an impressive finish, buy fresh scallops still in their shells – head to your local harbour, market or fishmonger for these. First, take the scallops out of their shells. Give the shells a good clean, and put the deeper half in the oven for a couple minutes to dry out. For a starter portion, I recommend two or three scallops per person.
Depending on your preference, keep or remove the orange muscle around the scallop. Give them a good clean, pat dry and season with a little salt and pepper. Add a knob of butter to a non-stick pan and sear your scallops – 2 minutes on each side should do it. Transfer them back into the deep halves of the shells and cover with tin foil to keep them warm.
In the same pan, add about 150ml of champagne. Simmer for a couple minutes to let the alcohol evaporate, then add a good dash of single cream, a handful of fresh, finely chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper. Whisk the sauce until slightly thick, then pour a little into each scallop shell, creating a luxurious pocket of silky sauce for each scallop.
This easy yet spectacular looking dish can be served as a starter, or become part of a main course by adding a couple side dishes such as roasted new potatoes and a fresh, summer salad.
Chef’s Tip
Some say this is a myth, but I have found it works! Once you’ve popped a bottle of champagne, if you don’t have a bottle stopper handy, put the handle of a silver spoon or folk in the bottle to keep it from going flat. The metal will keep the air at the top of the bottle a little bit cooler, meaning less gas escapes and bubbles are preserved for longer.
