Woodbridge salmon & scallops

Recipe submitted by competition winner Janette Martin*

Ingredients | Serves 2
2 Tasmanian salmon cutlets
8 Tasmanian scallops, with coral
1 tablespoon Tasmanian leatherwood honey
1 cup Tasmanian white wine
1 cup heavy Tasmanian cream
A few threads of Tasmanian saffron
1/2 a cup of Tasmanian hazelnuts, halved
Tasmanian olive oil & sesame oil
1/2 a cup of Tasmanian sweet cider
1 small red skinned and 1 green skinned Tasmanian eating apples
3 large handfuls of Tasmanian baby spinach, wilted
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 small knob fresh ginger, julienned
Half a lemon
Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Method
Warm the honey slightly and mix with half of the wine, a squeeze of lemon juice and the ginger. If serving as an entree, halve the salmon cutlets.

Marinate the salmon and scallops in this mixture for one hour or more, turning occasionally.

Core the apples without peeling, halve and slice thinly. Cover with the cider and set aside.

Coat the bottom of a heavy cast iron pan with a mix of olive and sesame oil and bring to high heat. Add the apple slices and hazelnuts to the pan and cook for two minutes. Remove from pan.

Drain the salmon and scallops, reserving the honey marinade. Sear the salmon quickly on both sides then continue to cook to your preference. When almost done, add the scallops and cook for two to three minutes. Remove seafood and keep warm.

Add the honey marinade plus the remaining wine and cider back into the pan and reduce to one third. Add the cream and reduce until thickened. Stir in the saffron, and salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble
Make a bed of the spinach mixed with the mint. Top with the salmon cutlet, and fill the trailing arms with three of the scallops, reserving one per serve. Spoon over the reduction honey sauce.

Layer some apple slices over the salmon and garnish with the hazelnuts. Finish with the remaining scallop on top. Serve.

Janette's story...
I first tried a version of this recipe in the late 1980s at the old Woodbridge Hotel, on the Derwent Estuary (now re-incarnated as Peppermint Bay). The Woodbridge pub was a 60s cream brick pile of no style at all, but located on a perfect waterside headland with glorious views across the estuary. Despite the exterior, the pub dining room produced quality innovative food using fine Tasmanian ingredients, accompanied by the best wines from the then fledgling Tasmanian wine industry. This was my first introduction to the high quality of both the local foods and wines of Tasmania. I have been making an annual holiday pilgrimage to Tasmania every year since. Over the years, I have tweaked this recipe to create a modern personal version, which can be served as an entree or main course, accompanied, of course, by a fine Tasmanian Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc.


Seared Tasmanian scallops with roasted beetroot, walnut and baby spinach salad

Recipe submitted by competition winner Simone Bett*

Ingredients | Serves 6
600g Tasmanian scallops, cleaned
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and pepper
2 cups baby spinach leaves
4 small beetroot
2 yellow capsicums, deseeded and sliced thickly
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small radishes, sliced thinly
1 granny smith apple, finely sliced (place in acidulated water*)
1/2 cup of walnuts
1 teaspoon dijon mustard and red wine vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
Finishing touches - 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (most herbs will work beautifully)

*Acidulated water is water in which some sort of acid is added such as lemon juice, lime juice or vinegar to prevent cut or skinned fruits from browning.

Method
Drizzle the olive oil over the scallops and season generously, then refrigerate until ready to sear and serve.

Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius. Place the walnuts onto a baking tray then roast for approximately 8 minutes. Allow the nuts to cool then store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Wrap the washed beetroot in foil and place in the oven for approximately 40 minutes (or until a skewer passes through the centre easily), then remove from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before peeling away the skin. Cut the beetroot into wedges.

Bake the capsicum at the same time as the beetroot by tossing the capsicum through the olive oil to coat then, season generously with sea salt and pepper. The capsicum should take approximately 30 minutes to colour nicely.

Whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper.

Place the baby spinach, roasted beetroot, roasted capsicum, radish, apple and walnut onto serving plates.

Heat a non-stick pan to a medium-hot heat and sear the scallops for approximately 30 seconds on each side.

Serve immediately onto the salad; drizzle with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with a selection of fresh herbs.

Simone's story...
I love food with a passion, but I adore Tasmanian produce even more. It is wonderful to feel proud of the achievements of producers in this state and then be privileged enough to readily access and cook with such quality food. This recipe highlights our fabulous Tasmanian scallops! It is also a new recipe I have put together for a personal recipe book I am putting together for my children; this I am doing for a number of reasons. As children growing up in Tasmania my most treasured memories are of times spent in the kitchen helping out with our family meals. There was not only Mum in the kitchen, but Dad making apple crumble (very small apples from the tree out the back), my brothers, sister in-law and myself helping out with peeling potatoes or making a sauce. I want my children to hold onto our favourite recipes!


*Please note that the above recipes being served on board and offered on The Leatherwood Restaurant menu have been slightly altered and reproduced using locally sourced Tasmanian ingredients where possible.