SEARED SCALLOPS - MADE BY ELIZABETH AT CASCAROT HOTEL, FRANCE

Elizabeth from Cascarot Hotel in France is a beautiful cook and host, and I asked her to send us a couple of lovely recipes... Try this one out!

Over to you Elizabeth...

This is an adaptable little number and can be served as an entree with three scallops or as you see on a spoon with one scallop as a yummy little amuse bouche. I created this with the help of my lovely young friend Kate Heise- Seabrook who spent some time with me at Cascarot in France. We had so much fun tasting each and every little change and went through a heap of scallops and wine in the process! Awesome.

I use my Thermomix for the peas, use about 200 gms of sweet baby peas, pop in a saucepan (or Thermi) and simmer until tender, drain, add cream, salt, pepper to taste and blitz until you have a smooth consistency, reasonably firm as you want it to be able to support the scallop/s.

Crisp up some pancetta, a slice or two, cool and crumble, set aside. Make curls of the zest of a lemon, set aside for decoration. 

Fire up the heat under a frying pan that will take the amount of scallops you require, do not overcrowd the pan. Add oil. Dry scallops well and dust with pepper. Sear the scallops, to your liking, I love them crispy on the outside but translucent on the inside, flip and cook very quickly...the timing depends on so much, the size of the scallops and your personal preference.

If using as an entree, swipe your serving plate with smear of pea purée, top with three scallops and sprinkle a little olive oil, crispy pancetta and lemon zest, perfect, otherwise pop them on a bed of purée on a spoon, as per pic, and top as above.   So so good, I’ve used this for my children’s 21sts and many family functions.

Elizabeth McQuinn

Cascarot Hotel, France