Sauce for a scallop shrimp Ravioli

[Gary Bobier]

My next dinner will include a shrimp scallop ravioli with a bit of mascarpone, breadcrumbs, mace, and shallot. What would you recomend for a sauce?

[Jenise]

Are there any cream sauces on the menu already that would cause you to stear clear of that category of sauce?

[Jeff Grossman/NYC]

Brown butter, though you might have to omit the mascarpone and maybe change the mace to something less "sweet".

Otherwise, I suppose a cream-based sauce is a good pick.

Depending on the texture, maybe just a sprinkle of lemon juice?

[Karen/NoCA]

Browned butter hit my head first, maybe with a touch of fresh lemon zest and/or juice

[Fred Sipe]

Would an orange butter sauce with tarragon be too weird? Sounds good to me...

[Gary Bobier]

I was kind of leaning towards a brown lemon butter sauce. There are no other cream courses in this dinner. Just roast portabella mushrooms stuffed with spinach, the ravioli, roast pork loin with baby brocoli and a dessert yet to be done.

[Jenise]

Would an orange butter sauce with tarragon be too weird? Sounds good to me...

No it wouldn't be too weird. I was actually thinking of suggesting tarragon or chervil, which is such a great, delicatae winter herb, to Gary in a cream sauce (wine, broth and cream, reduced). But for the match with the champagnes, I'd probably go lemon (grated rind) over orange.

Gary, since there's no cream anywhere else in your menu, and because cream sauces equate to luxury, I think a creamy wine-lemon-fish stock reduction finished with lemon rind and a bit of herb would be a great addition that your guests would love.

[Gary Bobier]

I am trying to keep things simple so the fish stock would take to much work. More locating the fresh bones. What would you think of a roasted lemon Burre Blanc garnished with a fine grate of lemon zest and chervil. We will be window paneing the chervil into the pasta sheets for the ravioli.

Gary

[Jenise]

I think that would be terrific, love your using the chervil in the pasta--I probably wouldn't repeat it in the sauce, would just stand with the roasted lemon burre blanc.

[GeoCWeyer]

Just had a wild idea, a lemon cream sauce with fresh lavender! Since I have a lavender plant growing in my window I sometimes use it just to be different.

[Mike Filigenzi]

I've used lavender in a few different dishes, including an ice cream that I liked. In my experience, the thing to be careful about is getting too much of its flavor - it can be a bit overpowering. I'd be interested to hear how it works with something like scallops and shrimp.