Double-dived scallops, burnt aubergine purée, pork belly and fermented grains
by
- Starter
- Medium
- 4
- 45 minutes
PT45M
This beautiful surf and turf scallop starter recipe from Scott Davies pairs seaweed-roasted scallops with pork belly and fermented grains for a celebration of the best of Skye produce. Though the elements are fairly simple, the dish requires some preparation in advance so make sure you get organised beforehand.
Ingredients
Scallops
- 4 scallops , removed from shell with roe left attached (Scott uses double-dived Sconser scallops)
- 1 tsp dulse seaweed flakes
- sea salt
Fermented grains
- 25g of spelt
- 25g of pearl barley
- 25g of rye
- 100ml of water
- 80ml of buttermilk
- 30g of apple vinegar
- 200ml of white chicken stock
Pork belly
- 300g of pork belly , (skin and bone removed)
- 900ml of water
- 2 tbsp of honey
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp of peppercorns
- 60g of sea salt
- 100g of pork fat, melted
Yoghurt curd
- 200g of plain yoghurt
- 2g of smoked salt
Burnt aubergine purée
- 1 large aubergine
- 1 tbsp of malt extract
- 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- salt
To serve
Equipment
- Water bath
- Large vacuum bags
- Chamber sealer
- Blowtorch
- Muslin cloth
- 2 squeezy bottles (2)
- Food processor or blender
Method
1
To make the fermented grains, mix the spelt, pearl barley, rye, water, 30g of the buttermilk and the apple vinegar together and place in a jar. Seal and
leave at room temperature for 24 hours
- 25g of spelt
- 25g of pearl barley
- 30ml of buttermilk, plus an extra 50ml
- 30g of apple vinegar
- 25g of rye
- 100ml of water
2
Remove the grains from the jar and rinse under cold running water. Place the grains in a pan with the chicken stock and boil for 20 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from the heat, season with salt and stir in the extra 50g buttermilk
- 200ml of white chicken stock
- 50ml of buttermilk
3
Next make a brine for the pork belly. Place the water, honey, thyme, bay, peppercorns and salt in a pan and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, leave to cool then cover the pork belly in the cold brine and refrigerate for 24 hours
- 900ml of water
- 2 tbsp of honey
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp of peppercorns
- 60g of sea salt
- 300g of pork belly , (skin and bone removed)
4
Preheat a water bath to 85°C
5
Wash the pork belly under cold running water and place in a vacuum bag with the melted pork fat. Seal with a chamber sealer and place in the preheated water bath for 12 hours
- 100g of pork fat, melted
6
After this time, remove from the water bath, place in a fresh bag and re-seal. Place between 2 heavy trays, top with weights and refrigerate for minimum of 2 hours, until cold and firm
7
To make the yoghurt curd, mix together the salt and the yoghurt and hang in a muslin cloth in the fridge for 6 hours, allowing the curds to form in the bag and the whey to collect in a bowl beneath it. Remove the curds from the cloth and transfer to a clean container. Keep the whey and curd separately (you will use the whey for the scallops)
- 200g of plain yoghurt
- 2g of smoked salt
8
To make the burnt aubergine purée, lightly score the aubergine with the point of a sharp knife, just breaking the skin. Set up a barbecue with charcoal and roast the aubergine for 20 minutes, or until blackened and soft. Alternatively, you can blacken the aubergine directly on a gas hob flame
9
Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3.5
10
Break up the cooked aubergine, season with salt and roast on a tray in the oven for 20 minutes. Transfer to a blender and blend with the malt extract and balsamic vinegar. Pass through a fine sieve and set aside until required
- salt
- 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp of malt extract
11
When ready to serve, cut the pork belly into a small dice, place on a tray and lightly crisp the surface with a blowtorch. Set aside until ready to serve
12
To cook the scallops, season each side lightly with sea salt and roast in a hot pan, or on a plancha, on the flat side for 1 minute. Flip over and cook for a further 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, brush with the reserved whey and sprinkle with dulse seaweed flakes and a little salt
- 1 tsp dulse seaweed flakes
- 4 fresh hand dived scallops , removed from shell, with roe left attatched
- sea salt
13
To plate, transfer the aubergine purée and yoghurt curd to separate squeezy bottles. Sit the scallop on a spoonful of fermented grains and garnish with the pork belly cubes, dots of purée and curd and fresh wood sorrel leaves
Discover more:
Go to Comments
Double-dived scallops, burnt aubergine purée, pork belly and fermented grains
