Dazz Switalla Flavour Secrets No.1 The Strand Chef www.no1thestrand.co.nz

The two shellfish I love the most are Bluff oysters and fresh scallops, which are both deemed too expensive for everyday use.
But you may need a little indulgence, or that special celebration dinner; and then freshly prepared shellfish is hard to beat.
This week's dish is inspired by a signature dish prepared by an innovative top chef about 15 years ago.
The German-born chef brought new dishes to Tauranga's bland fine dining offerings at the time. Unfortunately, his menu was toned down and moderated by the owners – and therefore he felt stifled in his creativity. Eventually, a regular customer saw his potential and poached him.
This meant he could finally produce his own style of cuisine; something many inspired young chefs of today would love to do.
Restaurant owners often clash with chefs over choices on menus – and that's why many menus mimic each other. They're the same as what is sold at the local cafe; or from what's his face down the road, who is selling heaps of them.
But the dining public has come to expect a lot more these days, than sad microwaved re-runs of a previous decade. So restaurant owners need to realise if they have the right chef; they will perform better, stay longer, and build up a reputation, if given carte blanch to create truly memorable meals – like this one from the chef who had a restaurant named after him.

Sautéed scallops with mushrooms and mild curry cream

Ingredients
200g fresh scallops
2 spring onions
Oil for cooking
150g field mushrooms
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground fenugreek
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp brown sugar
2 splashes Worcestershire sauce
1 cup dry vermouth
1 cup cream
20g chilled butter

Method
Cut up the spring onion by chopping some of the white stalk into slices. Make decoration strips with the green part, and place into chilled water while preparing the dish.
In a stainless steel pot, sauté half of the white spring onion stalks for a few minutes, and add all of the spices. Slowly stir in the dry Vermouth and bring to the boil.
Light a flame to the alcohol; and flames should leap out of the pot. This will caramelise the ingredients, which do tend to burn the side of the pot, so use a scraper to keep sides clean.
Once the flames have gone, add brown sugar, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and all of the cream; and reduce over a medium heat until thickened. Strain the sauce and set aside.
Sauté the mushrooms in a little oil until cooked and remove from pan. Add in the spring onions and scallops, just tossing them for about one minute. Quickly add the mushrooms back in with half of the sauce. Heat through and toss a few times; then serve onto the plate. Heat the rest of the sauce and whisk in the chilled butter to finish. Pour over the scallops and mushrooms. Serve immediately.