In Stonington, Maine we are lucky enough to have thriving commercial fisheries! While lobstering is a year-round fishery, Maines scallop season runs from December through March. Fortunately, scallops freeze beautifully! Additionally, if finding fresh, high-quality, live Maine lobster proves difficult, our frozen lobster tails are an excellent option! With these items on hand in the freezer, a luxurious, gourmet meal can evolve with little prep time and few other ingredients on hand!
While we believe in very simple cooking methods to properly showcase the flavor of Stonington seafood, we couldnt resist the idea of combining our tender lobster tails and rich, silky scallops! Using fresh, live Maine lobster is an excellent option for this dish, but for less strenuous handling and care, our lobster tails make for a quicker and equally as delicious option!
To highlight the wonderful flavor on both the scallops and the lobster, just a few other ingredients are added—softened leeks, fresh herbs (tarragon is a favorite), cream, egg whites (to help bind) salt and white pepper. Thats it! In place of tartar sauce, we have a spicy aioli, which works well against the richness of this sausage! We recommend serving alongside a large green salad. For a more rounded plate, any potato side dish (fries, mashed, roasted) would complement the seafood sausage and aioli as well!
Scallop and Lobster Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
For Seafood Sausage:
1 lb sea scallops (tough side muscle removed)
1 large egg white
1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/3 cup diced leeks (from 1 large, or 2 small)
2 Greenhead Lobster tails (4/5oz each)
1.5 Tbs fines herbes (minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives, tarragon, and/or chervil)
4 Tbs butter and oil (neutral high heat: avocado, vegetable, light olive)
This is an elegant seafood sausage, inspired by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyns Shrimp, Lobster and Leek Sausage, in Charcuterie. Approximately 4 servings.
Directions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add leaks and lobster tails, and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain, and allow to cool completely. Extract lobster meat from shell and roughly chop (it will be partially cooked).
- Puree the scallops with the egg whites in a large food processor. With the processor running, add the cream slowly, then the salt and white pepper.
- In a bowl, combine the scallop mousseline with the leeks, lobster, and herbs, folding them in gently but evenly.
- Add butter and oil to large NONSTICK skillet and heat to med-high.
- Measure approximately 1/2 cup of scallop lobster mixture and form into a patty (it will be quite sticky, just drop on skillet, allow to cook a bit, and flatten as desired), repeat until pan is full but not crowded.
- Watch carefully, allow to brown, but not to burn, roughly 4 minutes per side.
- Remove to plate, and keep in a warm place, covered (be it the back of the stove, or in the oven at 150°F)
- Continue cooking remaining seafood sausage, serve warm.
*TIP* This seafood sausage is rich and luxurious, full of delicate flavors! Serve with a nice green salad!
*ASIDE* For a more authentic sausage look, this mixture can be cased or wrapped in plastic wrap and poached (poach in 170° water until internal temperature of 135° is reached).