This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe (Scallop and Onion Tartes Fines, p 168) was my first foray back into the kitchen after our whirlwind trip to France and Denmark last week. I’ll admit I was in a big of a jetlagged fog when I made and ate these – perhaps this accounts for my own confusion about firstly how to make then eat them!
Basically it’s puff pastry that you bake flat (between two cookie trays so it doesn’t puff up too much (confusion #1) topped with caramelised onions and crispy bacon topped with thinly-sliced raw scallops (confusion #2) that is then reheated in the oven for a couple of minutes (confusion #3). Wait – what? Ok, so I like scallops but not raw-ish. So I decided to go rogue my own way and sear the scallops before I placed them on the warmed pastry/ onion/ bacon disks. So the flavours were good but this was a bit odd to eat – all the components kind of fell off – it was too big for a “bite” and really too small for eating with a knife and fork (but we managed!).
Verdict? These were tasty but I think I’d prefer to serve the scallops sans pastry. Or else the pastry sans scallops. For me, the three elements, though tasty, didn’t *quite* work together. Maybe I shouldn’t have seared the scallops and followed the instructions. But I’m glad I did and didn’t 😉
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I this Miss Mardi’s final assessment should be in quotes, as that is what I said! 🙂
Flavours were great…but really, how on earth could one go wrong with scallops, crispy bacon and caramelised onions?!?!? 😉
I never thought possible to say, but the puff pastry overshadowed the other ingredients. I indeed had a third one without the puff, and it was delectable. I’m not sure how possible, but a “thinner” pastry would have been lighter and therefore perhaps more in balance.
But I feel very picky in saying that!
No wine pairing, as this was a very early dinner (to ensure photographic light, mais oui). There was a bottle of Thirty Bench Small Lot Rose just itching to be poured, though…
This one was delicious, but the puff pastry did make for an awkward eating situation. I made mine a bit smaller that the recipe called for and in a rectange fashion (that was my own laziness) and even the smaller version was tricky as a finger food.
Hope you are feeling better.
My husband initially said that he preferred it without puff pastry, but I actually think he then worried that he would not get more…since he quickly followed that up with “these are good, very good-I really like them”. You would think I don’t feed them the rest of the week, the way they protect their “Dorie Food” 🙂 I have to say Mardi that while I am not a fan of scallops (don’t hate them- just don’t appreciate them and they are way to pricey and coveted for a meh) I would have absolutely tried one of your little broiled ones. The coloring looks VERY enticing and I also love the smaller size. Well done.
Yep. We thought the same thing – this one just did not work for us.
Have a great weekend!
I had the same reaction when I was reading the instructions for “warming” the scallops. I must have read and re-read that bit of the recipe a dozen times to make sure that I hadn’t missed something. In the end I had the same reaction, it just didn’t work.
These
look
DIVINE!
They’re on the menu for the w/end. Thanks, Mardi!
Welcome home, Mardi! Looks like you had a fabulous trip…great photos!
When I was ready to serve mine I set the table with a fork and knife…that we never used. My husband said they were easier to pick up in your hand and eat! I agree! We actually enjoyed them..I left mine in the oven for about 5 minutes…I don’t eat raw scallops! Sorry they weren’t a winner for you.
I was the only one who enjoyed these, but I think I’d like them even more with a seared scallop! Beautiful!
In my book, a seared scallop tops a rawish one every day. Good for you for going a little rogue. I think that maybe some herbs or greens would have cut through all the richness nicely.
Will keep the rosé recommendation at hand for future scallop dishes. 🙂
I seared my scallops too, and I can’t imagine that raw ones would have been better. Ick. I love your cute little minis. I cut the 6-inch circles in the recipe, so a fork and knife were a given. I make this again sans scallops. (Welcome home)
Didn’t matter as I didn’t sear but wanted to afterwards. Meh.
I hope your jetlag and vertigo have subsided. It sounds like you had a wonderful trip and I enjoyed all the photos you shared.
I wish I’d seared the scallops and served them separately. The dish as a whole was only okay and Kevin gave up after a single bite.
This may be the one time that jet-lag pays off! I didn’t make these this week, but I think your seared scallops look very delicious, and based on others’ reactions, might have been the way to go!
I think you made the best call on this.. scallops are best seared and I like the bites, great party idea.
I agree about searing them, they look so much more tasty that way. I think smaller rounds
or squares would work better with just a small amount of scallop on them. Hope you enjoyed
your trip, welcome home.
You were smart to sear the scallops – I like scallops but hated the raw fishiness of these against the onion and bacon.
Mardi, very pretty small tartes fines – I really like the way they look, the “seared look” certainly suits them rather well!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
I think I might have liked this better with seared scallops, but I agree that the elements didn’t quite work together as a whole.
No scallops for me this week! Too much confusion, I agree! But your tarts look so so yummy! Now I wish I made them!
Welcome back. Whirlwind trips are fantastic but dealing with the jet lag (and, vertigo) and going back to work, not so much. Egads, the Lesters were here for two nights. I missed by go-to-bed time by three hours (midnight instead of 9pm) and it took me a week to catch up and feel right. Which I told Susan, of course. So, I’m in sympathy. Searing was a great idea. But I prefer my scallops others ways. After making the puff pastry not puff, my third time for it, I vowed never to do it again. Done. Loved the onions/bacon. Get better.
I seared my scallops as well. Just the idea of warmish scallops didn’t work for me. Those are some big scallops!!!