Scallops served on a bed of creamy Cauliflower puree with crispy smoked pancetta
Today, we are showcasing the scallop with our scallops on cauliflower puree recipe. I have to admit this home recipe is one of my favourite starters, and the best thing is it is straightforward to prepare and cook. The most challenging part is the cooking of the scallop. Follow our few simple tips, and you will always cook your scallops to perfection.
The perfectly cooked scallops need to be nicely coloured and faintly translucent inside. It is essential to cook the scallops. To get the scallops nicely coloured, they need to be dry. Use a paper towel, carefully wipe any moisture from the scallops, and then season the scallops with salt and pepper. I’ve listed the all-important timings in the cooking instructions section.
For variations of this recipe, you could replace pancetta with streaky bacon, chorizo or black pudding. Pescetarians could replace the pancetta with chopped mushroom or finely diced courgette. Cauliflower makes the best puree for scallops. However, I have added a small amount of curry powder to my cauliflower puree, which works well for a subtle hint of spice.
Whatever you do, I urge you to try this recipe as I’m sure you will enjoy cooking it and your guests will love it.
Before we get into the recipe, I would like to thank Jason at East Point Fish; their fish is always fresh. I also bought cod fillets, so look out for a new Spanish-inspired cod recipe. There are more antastic seafood recipes on our website.
Scallops with cauliflower puree
Print RecipeIngredients
- 4 large scallops
- 1/2 cauliflower
- 100g Smoked Pancetta
- 100ml Full fat Milk
- 100ml single Cream
- Butter
- 1 Tbsp Sunflower oil or olive oil
Instructions
Start by preparing the cauliflower puree; if you are cooking the scallops as a dinner party starter, make the puree in advance and heat gently whilst preparing the scallops.
Cut half a cauliflower into small florets. Heat a knob of butter in a pan, and when hot, add the florets. Coat the florets with the butter and season.
Turn down the heat and add the milk; gently simmer for a few minutes before adding the cream and continue simmering until the cauliflower is cooked.
It’s worth pointing out that adding the cream when the heat has been reduced it will stop it from splitting.
A handy tip is to remove the cream from the fridge for 5 minutes before adding, as this also helps.
One cooked empty contents of the pan into a blender and blend until silky smooth.
Fry the pancetta in a pan until well cooked and crispy and set aside.
As for the scallops, as mentioned earlier, to get a colour and a crust on the scallop, they need to be dry—also, season with salt & pepper before cooking. Dry scallops with paper towel.
Add oil to the pan until hot add the scallops face down, resist the temptation to move the scallops once cooking, and allow to cook for 2 minutes or until the bottom has coloured. Turn over the seared scallop and add the two knobs of butter to the pan and spoon the butter over the scallops. The scallops will only need a minute or two, and they are ready. As you can see, they cook very quickly.
If you are cooking a lot of scallops in the pan, put in clockwise so that you turn the scallops in the correct order.
As you can see, the scallops only need to be in the pan for 4-5 minutes.
Now, you are ready to serve. I like to add the puree to the plate in the middle and then place two scallops on top. Sprinkle over the pancetta.
There you have it, a fantastic starter or a decadent lunchtime treat.
