In this clever dish from chef Michel Richard at Citronelle in Washington, D.C., fried sea scallops coated with fine strands of phyllo pastry resemble porcupines.
Ingredients
4 frozen phyllo pastry sheets, thawed
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 large egg
12 sea scallops
Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
Basil-Mint Sauce
Directions
Stack phyllo sheets atop one another on work surface. Cut crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Stack strips atop one another; cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Place strips in medium bowl. Using fingers, toss strips to separate. Mix flour and curry powder in pie dish; add salt and pepper. Whisk egg to blend in small bowl. Coat scallops 1 at a time with flour mixture. Dip into egg, then into phyllo strips, coating completely. Place on plate.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour enough oil into heavy medium saucepan to reach depth of 3 inches; heat to 350°F. Working in batches, deep-fry scallops just until coating is golden, about 25 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer scallops to baking sheet. Bake scallops just until opaque in center, about 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Divide Basil-Mint Sauce among 4 plates. Top each with 3 scallops.
