Weathervane Sea Scallops in a Citrus Marinade with Swiss Chard and Dill-Caviar Cream

1. 1Cut each scallop in half horizontally and set aside.
2. 2To make dressing, in a small stainless steel bowl, whisk together oil, juices, and shallot. In another stainless steel bowl, mix together crème fraîche, dill, and caviar and set aside.
3. 3Place the scallops in 3/4 cup of the dressing. Marinate the scallops for up to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes or so.

To serve:

1. 1Lightly toss the chard with the remaining 1/4 cup of the dressing. Remove the scallops from their dressing and place over the greens. Sprinkle the fleur de sel and cracked peppercorns on top of scallops. Drizzle caviar and crème fraîche mixture around the plate.

Note: East Coast wild Atlantic scallops may be substituted. However, many of the Atlantic wild scallops are dredged, which is a habitat-damaging method. Additionally, poor management has caused overfishing and species depletion. If you choose Atlantic scallops we recommend either diver, hand-harvested sea scallops; net-farmed Atlantic sea scallops from Newfoundland; or bay scallops from Nova Scotia because they are grown on suspended racks and cause less harm to the environment than dredged scallops. No matter which you choose, make sure the scallops are either in their shell or “dry packed,” not treated or soaked with sodium tripolyphosphate (STP). The freshness of the shellfish is the most important part of this recipe.

Beverage pairing: Choose a wine to highlight the citrus flavor in the appetizer. The citrus in the marinade brings out the pure flavors in the wine and rounds out the fattiness of the shellfish. Caviar can enhance the mineral taste of the wine, but the dill and cream will balance the flavor. The final note of the slightly bitter raw chard brings the entire dish together. Choose a Sauvignon Blanc from a region like the Columbia Valley in Washington State or Marlborough in New Zealand that exhibits citrus elements, or go all out and splurge on a blanc de blanc Champagne. Do you think Champagne and caviar might work together? Recommended: 2001 Chateau Ste. Michelle, Horse Heaven Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, Washington; or 1998 Cloudy Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand; or NV, Agrapart & Fils, Blanc de Blanc Brut, Avize, France.