Hand-Dived Scallops with Silken Cauliflower Purée and Brown Butter Raisins

⏱ 40 min · Serves 2

A restaurant classic done properly at home: sweet, bronzed scallops on a glossy cauliflower purée, finished with nutty brown butter, plump raisins and a squeeze of lemon. Ten minutes of real cooking, a lifetime of looking clever.

Per serving: 690 kcal · 26.0g protein · 32.0g carbs · 52.0g fat

Ingredients

• 6 large hand-dived scallops, roe off, cleaned and patted very dry
• 1 small cauliflower (about 500g), florets only, thinly sliced
• 250ml whole milk
• 50ml double cream
• 30g unsalted butter (for the purée)
• 60g unsalted butter (for the brown butter)
• 40g raisins
• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained (optional)
• 1 tbsp aged sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (grapeseed or sunflower)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted
• Sea salt flakes and white pepper
• A few small parsley or chervil leaves, to finish

Method

1. Soak the raisins in warm water with the sherry vinegar for 20 minutes, then drain and reserve.
2. Put the sliced cauliflower in a saucepan with the milk, 30g butter and a good pinch of salt. Add water to barely cover, bring to a gentle simmer and cook 12-15 minutes until completely tender.
3. Drain, keeping the cooking liquid. Blitz the cauliflower with the cream and a splash of the liquid until glass-smooth — a full 2 minutes in a blender. Season with salt and white pepper, then keep warm in the pan with a lid on.
4. Take the scallops out of the fridge 10 minutes before cooking and blot them dry again on kitchen paper — dry scallops are the whole secret. Season the flat sides with salt just before cooking.
5. Heat a heavy frying pan over a high heat with the oil until barely smoking. Lay the scallops in, spaced apart, and don't touch them for 90 seconds, until a deep golden crust forms.
6. Flip, add a knob of the brown butter's 60g, and cook 45-60 seconds more, basting. They should feel just springy — pull them out onto a warm plate to rest.
7. Wipe the pan, add the remaining butter and cook over medium heat, swirling, until it smells of hazelnuts and the milk solids turn brown, 2-3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the raisins, capers, almonds and lemon juice.
8. Spoon a generous swoosh of purée onto two warm plates, sit three scallops on each, spoon over the brown butter raisins and finish with herb leaves and a few salt flakes. Serve immediately.