Scallops and burnt leeks with hazelnut dressing
Burnt, tender leeks seasoned with a hazelnut dressing and served with pan-fried scallops. Perfect for impressing at a dinner party.
Ingredients
- 4 leeks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 shelled scallops (about 70g each), cleaned and corals removed
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the hazelnut dressing
- 40g/1½ oz blanched hazelnuts
- 1 green apple, finely diced
- 2 tsp finely chopped fresh chives
- 2 tsp finely chopped shallots
- 4 tbsp hazelnut oil
- 1–2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To garnish
- 4 breakfast radishes, sliced
- 8 pre-cooked baby pink beetroots
- 1 tbsp fresh, tender, podded broad beans
- 2 fresh chive flower heads
- 20 wild garden flowers (mallow flowers)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Place the hazelnuts in a shallow baking tray and toast in the oven for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until golden brown. This step can be done in advance.
Coarsely chop the toasted hazelnuts, then transfer to a bowl. Add the apple, chives, shallots and hazelnut oil, then stir together. Add a splash of sherry vinegar to taste and season with salt and pepper, then set the dressing aside.
When you are ready to cook, preheat the grill to medium-high and position the rack about 10cm from the heat. Carefully remove the outside leaf from the leeks, but keep the root ends attached.
Line a roasting tin with baking paper or kitchen foil, or use two trays if you don't have one large enough to hold the leeks in a single layer. Place the leeks onto the tray(s), drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put them under the grill and leave to char. When one side is charred, turn the leeks and char the other side. Keep this process going for about 15 minutes until the leeks are completely black, but soft in the middle.
Now carefully cut into each leek about 5cm from the root end (slice without cutting all the way through) and remove the inside, keeping the charred outer leaves for presentation. Cut the heart of the leeks into 2.5cm/1in pieces, then set aside and keep warm.
Halve the scallops vertically from top to bottom, then rinse them well, pat dry and season all over with salt. Heat a well-seasoned sauté or frying pan over a medium-high heat, then add a splash of oil. When it’s hot, add the scallops cut-side down and fry for 1 minute on each side, or until lightly golden.
Divide the chopped leek ‘shells’ between serving plates and stuff them with the scallop pieces. Give the dressing a good stir, then spoon it over the scallops. Garnish with the radishes, beetroot, broad beans, chive flowers and mallow flowers.
