Executive Head Chef Mark Staples has created a mouth-watering Pan-seared Kenmare Scallops with Rosscarbery Black Pudding and Almond Crumble, Cauliflower Pancetta and Sage Oil. The following is the recipe for this sumptuous dish which you will hopefully take pleasure in recreating at home.
Serves 4
75g pancetta
12 scallops
olive oil, for frying
For the piccalilli:
½ head of cauliflower, cut into small, even, bite-sizedpieces
10g sea salt
10g yellow mustard seeds
5g ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
15g cornflour
300ml cider vinegar
75g sugar
25g honey
For the cauliflower purée:
½ head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
150ml cream
150ml water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the black pudding crumble:
100g black pudding
50g flaked almonds
For the sage oil:
25g spinach
5g sage leaves
75ml pomace oil
To make the piccalilli, put the cauliflower in a bowl, sprinkle overthe sea salt and mix well. Cover the bowl and set aside in a coolplace for 24 hours. The following day, rinse the cauliflower withcold water, drain well and set aside.
Toast the mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin seeds and corianderseeds in a pan to release their oils, then add the cornflour.
Put the vinegar in a saucepan with the sugar and honey and bringto the boil while whisking. When it has come up to the boil, addthe cauliflower and spices and cook for two to three minutes.Remove from the heat and chill.
To make the cauliflower purée, put the cauliflower in a potwith the cream and water and season a little. Make sure all thecauliflower is submerged – if it isn’t, add a little more water. Cookthe cauliflower until soft, then strain and reserve the cookingliquid. Put the cauliflower in a blender and blend, slowly addingthe reserved cooking liquid to make a smooth purée. Taste andadjust the seasoning if needed.
For the sage oil, blanch the spinach and sage leaves in boilingwater for five seconds, then remove and put into a bowl of icewater. Remove from the water and squeeze to remove any excesswater. Put the leaves in a blender and blend with the oil. Strainthrough a muslin cloth to remove any excess particles of leaves.
For the crumble, lightly blend the black pudding and almonds toa crumble consistency, then toast in the oven at 160°C for fiveminutes.
To cook the pancetta, slice it very thinly and crisp it in the ovenbetween two sheets of parchment paper at 160°C for 10–15minutes.
Lastly, pan sear the scallops in a hot pan for one minute on eachside in a little oil until golden brown.
Enjoy!