Pan Fried Scottish Scallops On A Leek Puree With Crispy Bacon And Kale Chips Recipes

Steps:

• To make the purée, heat the butter in a small saucepan and add the squash. Sweat it over a very low heat for 5 mins, then pour over the stock. Cover and gently simmer for 10-12 mins until the squash is very soft.
• Take off the heat and add the parmesan. Use a hand blender or food processor to blitz the squash until smooth, then press through a sieve into another saucepan. Season to taste and set aside.
• To make the warm salad, trim the squash into a neat block, then neatly dice the flesh into cubes no larger than 1cm. Heat half the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry the squash for 10 mins, or until tender and coloured, then tip onto a plate.
• Place the pan back on the heat and gently fry the bacon for 10 mins, or until crisp and brown. Add the onion and cook for 2 mins to soften in the fat, then add the capers and squash, drizzle over the sherry vinegar and toss together for 1 min. Off the heat, stir in the chives and the rest of the oil, then tip everything into a bowl and keep warm.
• Have the scallops to hand as you will need to work fast when cooking them. Clean out the frying pan and place it back on the heat with a drizzle more oil. When the oil starts to shimmer, carefully lay the scallops in the pan one at a time, like points on a clock face, starting at 6 o'clock, so you remember which one went in first.
• Scallops take very little time to cook, so by the time the last one is in the pan, the first will be brown and ready to turn over. Flip all the scallops over and give them about 1 min more, then lift onto kitchen paper on a plate to drain the oil. With the salad and the purée still warm, you are now ready to plate up.
• Spoon half the warm salad down the middle of each plate. Overlap 6 pieces of scallop along the salad. Use a spoon to swipe the purée around the outside of the food. Drizzle everything with a touch more oil, and you are now ready to serve.

Steps:

• Put the cauliflower, milk, vanilla pod and its seeds into a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for 10 mins until the cauliflower is tender. Drain the cauliflower, reserving the milk and discarding the vanilla pod. Whizz the cauliflower until smooth in a food processor, adding a knob of butter, seasoning and enough reserved milk to make a nice, smooth consistency. This can be made up to a day ahead, then reheated in a pan or microwave.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Cover a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper, lay the pancetta on top and cook for 8-10 mins until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper, drizzle with maple syrup and set aside until serving. 3 Fry the porcini in half the olive oil in a hot pan for about 4 mins until starting to brown. Keep warm.
• Heat the remaining oil and butter in a frying pan and season the scallops. Fry the scallops for 1-1½ mins on each side over a high heat until caramelised. To assemble, spoon the purée onto plates, top with porcini, scallops and pancetta, then sprinkle with chives.

Steps:

• For the butter, mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, then beat well with a wooden spoon until there are no lumps of butter left. Spoon onto a large sheet of cling film, then wrap tightly in a sausage shape. Chill until firm (or put in the freezer if you're short of time).
• Set up a pan with a steamer or suspend a heatproof colander over the top of a pan. Cut the leeks in half lengthways, then slice into long strips, about the thickness of tagliatelle. Cover, then steam for 6 mins until tender, with no signs of squeakiness. Season, then set aside.
• Dry the scallops on kitchen paper and season. Heat a heavy-based pan, then add the oil. Once hot, add the scallops, keeping them close together - this helps the sides to stay straight and tall rather than sagging. Sizzle for 2 mins until caramelised and you can see the heat creeping up the outside. Turn over with a palette knife, then fry for 1 min more. Take off the heat, then add a few good slices of the butter to the pan, spooning over the scallops as it melts.
• To serve, wind a nest of warm leeks in the centre of 4 plates, top each with 3 scallops, spoon over the buttery sauce (it looks smart trickled around the plate), then sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Squeeze over a little lemon juice before you tuck in.

Steps:

• To make the pancetta crumbs (which you can do up to a day ahead), set a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pancetta and sizzle for 5 mins, turning, until coloured. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs into the pan and continue frying and stirring until browned and crisp. Blitz the mixture in a food processor to fine crumbs. Mix in the thyme and store in an airtight container if making ahead.
• To make the parsnip purée, tip the parsnips into a small saucepan with the milk and some seasoning. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 mins until the parsnips are tender. Purée the mixture in the food processor, then add the butter. Rub through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, ready to reheat.
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Season the scallops and lay them in a circle around the edge of the pan (see step 1). When the last scallop has been added, leave for 1 min until browned. Then, starting with the first scallop, gently turn (step 2). When all the scallops are cooked, transfer to a warm plate and quickly add the lemon juice to your hot pan, scraping the bottom to form a sauce and adding a splash of water if needed.
• Reheat the parsnip purée, then swipe onto 3 plates (step 3). Top with the scallops, pancetta crumbs and juices from the pan. Serve straight away.