Foodie Geekdom

I got my Molecular Gastronomy Kit in the mail! The fridge is stocked, I'm armed with a 3-day weekend, and crazy ideas in my head. I'm ready to foodie geek-out :)

I wanted to start easy so my first experiment was to create a stabilized foam flavored with my very last Meyer lemons of the season. I used soy lecithin to create this tasty and visually appealing element for my pan-seared scallops. I used the leftover lemon juice and rind to make a Lemon & Goat Cheese Risotto.

Pan-Seared Scallops w/ Meyer Lemon Foam & Squid-Ink Tobiko Roe
    * 4 large scallops
    * 2 tsp butter
    * 2 Meyer lemons - juiced
    * 2/3 cup water
    * 2g soy lecithin
    * 1 tsp squid-ink Tobiko roe (black)

Add the butter to a non-stick pan on high heat. When the butter melts, gently add the scallops. Sear them for 1-2 minutes on each side. Next, put the Meyer lemon juice and water in a shallow bowl, stir in soy lecithin and use your immersion hand blender to blend the mixture until it foams. Scoop the top layer of foam and place on top of scallops. Garnish with the Tobiko roe. Serve immediately.

Lemon & Goat Cheese Risotto
    * 1 cup risotto rice
    * 2 tsp Meyer lemon juice
    * 2 tsp grated Meyer lemon peel
    * 1/4 cup goat cheese
    * 1 shallot, diced
    * 4 cups chicken stock
    * 1 tsp sage
    * 4 tbsp olive oil
    * sea salt & cracked pepper

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sautée until tender then add rice. Stir for about a minute. Add 1 cup of stock at a time. Keep adding until all 4 cups have absorbed. This should take about 20-30 minutes. Stir in goat cheese, sage, lemon juice and lemon peel. The risotto should be creamy and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.

The foam transmits the sweet and tangy flavor of the Meyer lemons onto the scallops thanks to their thousands of air bubbles. It was light, delicate and looks freaking badass.