I was very excited to come across a fantastic shop selling the most beautiful seafood and vegetables including Finger Limes which I have been meaning to try for over a year. I had eyes bigger than my belly and bought citrus and seafood to experiment with. Once only a natuve Australian native ingredient, there are now UK suppliers of Finger Limes. Once home I realised I had an abundance of pumpkins, so I was interested to combine the flavours and saw that the pairing of seafood and pumpkin was not uncommon. The sweetness of the garlicky pumpkin mash pairs so well with the fresh seafood of juicy scallops simply pan fried in butter and garlic. The acidity pops with finger limes on top of the scallops with shaved baby ginger and a lemon and orange juice vinegarette poured on top. I placed fresh samphire on top of the dish giving a salty element contrasting with the orange pumpkin mash. This is such an elegant dish perfect to impress combining sweetness, salty and savoury coming through with the samphire . Baby ginger is more delicate than normal ginger and the green shoots can be cut like spring onions to add a subtle kick and a relief to the richness which you can get from Asian supermarkets and shops.
Use the pumpkin mash from the previous recipe so you can prep this dish easily beforehand.
Ingredients - per person
2 - 3 fresh scallops
2 spoonfuls of pumpkin mash (see previous recipe) put into cookie cutters for the shape
1 finger lime (bought from UK stockists)
50g butter
2 fat Garlic cloves cut into slivers
1/2 teaspoon Baby Ginger - pink tinged finely chopped
Handful Samphire
Finely chopped parsley to decorate
1/2 juice of freshly freshly squeezed orange
1/2 juice of freshly squeezed lemon
100ml pint of olive oil
1 teaspoonn of Dijon Mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
Sea Salt
Plating up can be done beforehand. Using a circular cutter or cookie cutter, put the pumpkin mash inside to give a circular shape and fill up to less than half - it will widen out when the cutter is removed. This helps you with the shape on the plate . Remove the circular cutters from the plate before plating the scallops.
Combine the olive oil, Dijon Mustard, orange and lemon juice in a jar to use later when the scallops are done.
Wash and prepare the fresh scallops removing the beards and gently prise from the shell if using diver caught scallops. Add the butter to a cast iron frying pan, when the butter is foaming add the scallops and fry on a medium heat for 2- 3 minutes until browned on one side. Add the sliced garlic and tilt the pan so that the butter foams onto the scallops. Turn the heat off the pan and turn the scallops over and keep basting them with the foaming butter using a spoon. Set aside on a plate with kitchen towel to soak up the butter.
Place the cooked and browned scallops on top of the pumpkin mash. Add spoonfuls of the olive oil, lemon and orange vingerette over the scallops. Arrange some of the browned garlic slivers on the plate. Add the samphire lengthwise along the plate. Sprinkle with finely cut parsley. Cut one finger lime in half and squeeze the pops of lime over the scallops generously. Season with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
To finish cut fine slices of the baby ginger over the top of the scallops.
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