Scallops with apple, black pudding, apple salad and an apple and vanilla purée
Apples are the star of this sensational starter. The sweetness of the apples are balanced by the savoury black pudding.
Ingredients
For the scallops
- bacon: 8 slices maple-cured streaky bacon
- rapeseed oil: 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- black pudding: 200g/7oz black pudding, sliced
- scallops: 12 scallops, roe removed
- butter: 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
- apples: 2 green apples, peeled, cored and sliced
For the apple salad
- apples: 2 green apples, peeled and julienned
- watercress: 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú watercress leaves
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú bull’s blood leaves
- rapeseed oil: 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- white wine vinegar: 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- lemon: ½ lemon, juice only
For the apple and vanilla purée
- butter: 40²µ/1½´Ç³ú butter
- apples: 300g/10½oz Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped
- caster sugar: 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú caster sugar
- vanilla pod: 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways and seeds scraped out
- black pepper: salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- coriander cress: 2 tbsp coriander cress
Method
For the scallops, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Sandwich the bacon between two baking sheets and place in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
Heat a large frying pan and add the oil, once hot add the black pudding. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the scallops. Cook the scallops on each side for 1-2 minutes, depending on the size of the scallops. Add half the butter at the end and baste the scallops. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Heat a separate frying pan and add the remaining butter. Once hot, add the apple slices and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes, or until golden-brown.
For the salad, place the apples and leaves in a large bowl and mix. In a small bowl mix the oil, vinegar and lemon juice.
For the purée, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the apples, sugar, vanilla pod and seeds. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until the apples start to break down.
Remove the vanilla pod and then blend the mixture to a smooth purée using a hand-held blender. Push the mixture through a fine sieve into a saucepan and season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve, toss the salad in the dressing and divide between four serving plates. Place the scallops, black pudding and apple slices alongside and dress the plates with the purée. Garnish with the bacon and coriander cress.
