Seared scallops with bacon and mint and pea puree

Scallop with pea puree and bacon

Sweet tasting scallops go well with crispy, salty bacon and a minty pea puree. The trick with scallops is to sear them in a hot pan so that the outer surface is browned but the inside is moist.

The pea puree is cooked in water with several sprigs of mint to impart extra flavour and the cooked mint is then discarded. When the peas are whizzed in a blender, you add some fresh mint leaves. To get an extra smooth puree, you can filter the pea mash through a fine sieve.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 fresh scallops
• 250g frozen peas
• 1 bunch mint
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 4 strips of streaky bacon
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Cover the peas with water and add the sugar and several sprigs of mint (including the stalks) and bring to a boil
2. Drain the peas and discard the mint. Blitz the peas in a food processor and pass the mixture through a strainer to get a smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper and set aside
3. Heat the streaky bacon in a pan until crispy. Set aside
4. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan and sear the scallops for a couple of minutes on each side, just enough to get a nice brown colour but not overcook them
5. Plate up a couple of spoonfulls of pea puree, the scallops and then the bacon on top

Moules marinière with white wine, bay leaf and shallot

Moules marinière

Muscles (moules) in a cream and white wine sauce for an easy and classic French dinner. The bay leaves add a great aromatic flavour to the dish

Serves 2 as a main course

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg muscles
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 25g flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 medium sized banana shallot, finely diced
• 300ml dry white wine
• 20g butter
• 2 tbsp cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Soak the muscles in cold water for about 20 minutes while you clean them – pulling off the beard and any bits sticking to the shell. Throw away any that are broken or that won’t close when lightly tapped
2. In a large pot, fry the shallots and bay leaves in the butter until the shallots are soft
3. Add the white wine and boil for a few minutes to drive off some of the alcohol
4. Add 3/4 parsley and the muscles and cover the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes
5. When all the muscles have opened add the cream and cook for a couple of minutes
6. Serve the muscles with the liquid, a sprinkle of parsley and lots of crispy French baguette to soak up all the juice