Scallops Benedict with Brown Butter Hollandaise

Instructions

To prepare the Chive Buttermilk Biscuits

1. Makes about 6 large biscuits
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. In a food processor, blend together the flour, baking powder.
4. Pulse in the cold butter. Do not over incorporate the butter into the flour. Similar to making a flaky pastry, small pieces of butter should be visible in the flour.
5. Transfer this mixture from the food processor into a large mixing bowl and add the chopped chives.
6. Toss together and make a well in the center. Pour in the buttermilk.
7. Working very quickly with a wooden spoon, fold the dry mixture through the buttermilk, only until the flour disappears, then stop immediately.
8. Drop the sticky dough onto a well floured counter top or bread board. Sprinkle the top of the dough with additional flour as well as flouring your hands to handle the dough.
9. After folding it just a few times, I don't even use a rolling pin for these biscuits, the dough is soft enough to pat it out gently with floured hands to a thickness of about 1 & 1/2 inches .
10. Using a large sharp biscuit cutter cut the biscuits out an place them well spaced out, on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. I recommend aluminum baking sheets because they tolerate the higher oven temperature without burning the bottom of the biscuits. An alternative to using a biscuit cutter is to form the dough into a round and simply cut it in wedges, like a pie.
11. Bake in the 400 degree F preheated oven for about 10 minutes before lowering the temperature to 375 degrees F and baking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are evenly golden brown.

To prepare the Easy Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce

1. To brown butter just melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat and watch it until the color turns light golden brown. Pour it off immediately into a heat proof measuring cup, leaving the sediment behind.
2. In a blender combine the egg yolks, mustard and lemon zest and juice for only a few seconds.
3. With the blender on medium speed, slowly pour in the hot butter in a thin stream.
4. The sauce should thicken quite quickly. Pour into a bowl and keep the bowl warm in a warm water bath while preparing the other components of the Scallops Benedict.

To construct the Scallops Benedict

1. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and pan sear them in a hot pan with the butter and olive oil for only a few minutes per side.
2. Slice a biscuit in half and use one piece as the base.
3. Add the scrambled eggs and top them with the seared scallops.
4. Pour on some of the Hollandaise sauce and sprinkle with the chopped bacon and additional chives for garnish.
5. Top with the second half of the biscuit if you like.