Scallops and black pudding with pea & mint purée
Posted on 3rd March 2022 at 09:05
Scallops and black pudding are a pairing made in heaven. They go together like jam & cream or beef & red wine, or Morecambe & Wise. The sweet richness of freshly caught scallops and the deep savoury taste of black pudding just works, simple as. We have gone a step further and added another classic scallop pairing with the addition of a pea & mint puree which adds a fresh zesty flavour to cut through the richest of the rest of the dish.
Ingredients – feeds 2
• 8 scallops
• 100g of black pudding cut into 6 slices
• 200g of fresh or frozen peas
• 6 fresh mint leaves
• 10g of butter
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• Half a lemon
• Optional – pea shoots to garish if in season
Preparing the scallops
If you are preparing your scallops from scratch you may need to remove them from their shells, Tristan often prepares these for customers but here is some advice if you are faced with an unprepared scallop.
Use an oyster shucking knife, and place it at the hinge, prizing it open slightly.
Turn the scallop over and run a flexible fish filleting knife over the flat side of the shell to release the scallop. Open the shell fully. Use a spoon to release the scallop from the bottom shell.
Pull off the frill, the black stomach sack and any other pieces that are around the meat of the scallop and discard, leaving just the white flesh and any coral. Rinse the scallop thoroughly in cold water.
Preparing the pea & mint purée
Prepare the pea purée before cooking the black pudding and scallops, as these take mere minutes to cook so you are not rushed while creating a perfectly smooth purée.
1. Bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Add the peas and mint leaves, then blanch for 3 minutes.
2. Strain the peas and mint leaves, then add them to a blender. Blend for 2-3 minutes, adding water if required to achieve a smooth but not runny purée.
3. Pass the purée through a fine sieve using the back of a spoon to achieve a silky-smooth consistency.
4. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste.
Cooking the black pudding and scallops
1. Heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat with the spoon of oil.
2. Add the black pudding slices to pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges darken and crisp before flipping. Cook for a further 2 minutes on the other side. Remove the black pudding from the pan once cooked and set aside.
3. While the black pudding is cooking, pat dry the scallops with kitchen roll and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
4. With the black pudding removed from the pan, increase the temperature to a high heat. Add the scallops to the pan flat side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the scallops are a golden brown. Do not move the scallops while them are cooking as this with prevent caramelisation.
5. While the scallops are cooking, dish the pea & mint purée and the black pudding. Spoon the purée into the centre of two bowled dishes, then add the black pudding slices in a triangle on top of the purée.
6. Turn the scallops over once cooked on the first side, add the butter and baste for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan once cooked. They should springy to touch not tough like a rubber ball.
7. Serve immediately, arranged on top of the black pudding. Ganish with pea shoots if in season.
Tagged as: scallops
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