Scallop Tartare with Frozen Buttermilk Snow and Dill Oil

⏱ 50 min · Serves 4

Sweet raw scallops, diced and dressed with lemon and shallot, sit under a drift of frozen buttermilk snow that melts into a cool, tangy dressing at the table. Vivid green dill oil pools around the edges. Three components, ten minutes of plating, and a starter that looks like it came from a tasting menu.

Per serving: 268 kcal · 17.0g protein · 8.0g carbs · 18.5g fat

Ingredients

• 300g very fresh sashimi-grade king scallops (roe removed), about 8-10
• 250ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, plus zest of 1/2 lemon
• 30g fresh dill (fronds and tender stalks)
• 120ml mild olive oil or grapeseed oil
• 1 small banana shallot, very finely diced
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 green chilli, deseeded and minced (optional)
• Flaky sea salt and white pepper
• 1 small cucumber, deseeded and finely diced
• Chive flowers or baby cress, to garnish

Method

1. Make the frozen buttermilk: whisk the buttermilk with the sugar, fine salt and 1 tsp of the lemon juice. Pour into a shallow metal tray and freeze for at least 3 hours (or 40 minutes in the freezer's coldest spot if the layer is very thin), scraping with a fork every 20 minutes once it starts setting to make a fine snow.
2. Make the dill oil: blanch the dill in boiling water for 10 seconds, then plunge into iced water. Squeeze bone dry and blitz with the 120ml oil in a blender for 2 minutes until warm and bright green. Strain through a coffee filter or muslin into a bowl - don't press it, let it drip. Chill.
3. Soak the diced shallot in the remaining lemon juice for 10 minutes to soften its bite.
4. Pat the scallops completely dry. Slice each into 4-5mm discs, then into neat dice. Keep very cold.
5. Just before serving, fold the scallop dice with the shallot and its lemon, the extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, chilli if using, a pinch of flaky salt and a whisper of white pepper. Taste - it should be bright and barely dressed.
6. Chill four shallow bowls. Spoon the tartare into a ring mould in the centre of each, or shape into a quenelle. Scatter the cucumber around.
7. Scrape the buttermilk into snow with a fork and pile a generous spoonful over each tartare. Spoon dill oil around the base, garnish with cress or chive flowers and serve immediately, while the snow is still frozen.