ISO: Feedback on a crazy lemon/scallop idea

[crono760]

I was trying to go to sleep yesterday when a thought struck me: Lemon goes well with seafood, but does seafood go well with lemon? That is, what happens if you try to make lemon, instead of seafood, the focus of the dish? This is more of an appetizer, and I'm wondering what people think:

I'll first peel a lemon and slice it into rounds, making sure there's none of that bitter white pith. Then I'll candy them by cooking them in a simple syrup.

I'll slice some scallops very thinly and saute them in some butter with bacon.

I'll put one slice of scallop on one round of lemon, and there you go. I've always been a fan of sweet/savory together, but before heading out to buy scallops I'm curious if anyone else thinks this will work (or if I'm crazy )

Mike

 

[pdswife]

Well, the bacon and scallops sauted in butter sounds wonderful.
I wouldn't candy the lemon though.. I'd leave it fresh and cut very thinly, leaving the peel on for color and then place the scallop on top.

 

[crono760]

Interesting. I can see why you wouldn't candy the lemon (that in itself was a pretty weird idea), although I'm not sure why you'd leave the peel on. If the goal is for people to eat the whole thing, wouldn't the peel be really bitter, even in a thin slice?

Mike

 

[GotGarlic]

I think scallops are pretty sweet already, so the only savory element in your idea comes from the bacon. I also think the flavor of scallops is very delicate and would be overwhelmed by that much lemon (although I would peel it), so you'd be going for the texture here. Sounds good, though.

 

[kitchenelf]

I've had a dish similar to what you are trying to create. It was at a sushi bar.

First, you have to buy thin-skinned lemons. Those are usually the smaller ones. The bigger ones have too thick a skin which translates to pith also.

Second, you have to have a VERY sharp knife and slice them VERY thin!!!! I don't know if these thin slices of lemon were seared, or baked or what. If I were to bake them I would do it on parchment paper. Or better yet, I'd say the lemon was blanched first - the skin was softer and not raw - then it was probably sliced.

When you ate a scallop there was a lemon slice draped over it - the lemon slice may have been cut in half too.

I really wish I had written this dish down as soon as I got in the car but I didn't.

 

[Bilby]

I would grill the lemon slices before serving the scallop on it and omit the bacon. It will dominate. Maybe have the scallop sitting on little fish mousseline on top of the lemon?

 

[crono760]

good ideas everyone. I agree with the bacon thing, it might be a bit much. I'm still a bit wary of leaving the skin/pith on, but I guess it's time for an experiment

Mike

 

[Bilby]

The skin is okay, it's just the pith. One of the restaurants here freezes the lemon slices to use as a plate for the palate cleansing sorbet between courses. I eat the lemon slice whole. Yummy. Try grilling it and see what you think of the lemon. Experiment with the lemon before you get to the scallop.

 

[Lizannd]

Why don't you dry the lemon slices instead. They

will sweeten a bit with drying.

 

[Jeekinz]

How about lemon favored lotus root?

 

[AllenOK]

Have you thought about preserved lemons, as in Morroccan cuisine? I think they were also known as Lemon Confit, but unlike a normal confit, they lemons are basically cured in salt and used as a garnish. I've never tried them, so I couldn't tell you what the flavor is like. A salty lemon might not work well with salty bacon.

 

[kitchenelf]

good ideas everyone. I agree with the bacon thing, it might be a bit much. I'm still a bit wary of leaving the skin/pith on, but I guess it's time for an experiment

Mike

Again, use the smaller lemons with the thinner skin. There is very little pith. And the slices have to be VERY thin. Grilling or sauteeing these slices is a perfect idea as I did eat the lemon with the scallop. The cooking will help reduce the tartness - you MIGHT even consider sauteeing in a bit of bacon grease - that will give you that flavor in a milder form.