Roast scallops with pea purée, caviar, gold leaf and squid ink sauce

INGREDIENTS

(serves six)

6 large scallops
25ml olive oil
1 shallot, diced
10 sugar snap peas, blanched
Salt and pepper
1 bunch chives, chopped
6tbs lemon juice
150ml sauce (see note)
Dried scallop corals, powdered (see note)
30g beluga caviar
Gold leaf

METHOD

Clean the scallops. Heat half the oil. Sweat the shallot until soft and blend to a purée with the peas. Season, add the chives and keep hot. Fry the scallops in the rest of the oil and finish cooking for two minutes in the oven. Deglaze the pan with lemon juice and add the sauce.

To serve, squeeze excess moisture from the pea purée. Put a ring mould in the centre of a plate and add the purée. Remove mould. Put a scallop on top and decorate with caviar and gold leaf. Pour sauce around the pea purée and decorate the plate with scallop coral powder.

Note on sauce: Sweat two diced shallots in oil until soft, add two pods of star anise, one lime leaf and three fennel stalks. Deglaze with 100ml dry white wine and 50ml Noilly Prat and reduce to a glaze. Add 200ml fish stock and a sachet of squid ink. Reduce sauce by half and check seasoning. Strain. Monté with butter.

Note on scallop corals: Dry scallop corals in the oven at a low heat until they can be powdered.

Kevin Thornton