Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree
Scallops feel like a restaurant thing, which is exactly why they are worth cooking at home every now and again. They take about four minutes in a hot pan and the whole plate comes together in under half an hour. The cauliflower puree underneath is silky and mild, and it lets the sweetness of the scallops do the talking.
The trick with scallops is heat and patience. Get the pan properly hot, pat them dry first, then leave them completely alone until a deep golden crust has formed underneath. Moving them around too early is the one thing that stops them browning.
For the puree, the cauliflower simmers in milk rather than water, which keeps it sweet and gives a far better texture once it is blitzed. I push mine through a sieve afterwards if I am feeling patient, although a decent blender does a good enough job on its own.
This makes two generous plates as a main, or four smaller ones if you are serving it as a starter. Matt has a big appetite and would tell you that three scallops each is not dinner, so we eat this with plenty of bread. A squeeze of lemon right at the end is not optional.
Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 people
Serving size: 698g
Calories per serving: 505
Fat per serving: 30.3g
Ingredients
- 12 king scallops, roe removed
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 300ml whole milk
- 40g butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon (half juiced, half cut into wedges)
- Small bunch of chives (finely chopped)
- Salt and black pepper to season
Method
- Put the cauliflower florets into a saucepan with the milk and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely soft.
- Drain the cauliflower, keeping the milk. Blitz it with half the butter and a few splashes of the reserved milk until you have a thick, silky puree. Season well and keep it warm.
- Pat the scallops thoroughly dry with kitchen paper and season them on both sides. This matters more than it sounds, because wet scallops will steam instead of browning.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan over a high heat until it just begins to shimmer. Lay the scallops in, spaced well apart, and leave them untouched for 2 minutes.
- Turn the scallops over, add the remaining butter to the pan and cook for another minute, spooning the foaming butter over them as they finish.
- Spoon the cauliflower puree onto warm plates, sit the scallops on top and pour over the buttery pan juices. Finish with chopped chives and a squeeze of lemon.
