Michael Caines' Pan-fried Scallops Recipe

Cauliflower Purée

Place the cauliflower florets in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook the cauliflower without any seasoning until soft. Strain off and reserve the cooking liquid, set this aside to cool. Blend the cauliflower in a food processor for 5 mins then place in a blender and blend to a fine puree.

Put the puree in a heavy non-stick pan with half the butter and roast, stirring it often so that it colours but does not catch. Re-blend adding the cooking liquid as needed to achieve a dropping consistency. Transfer back into the heavy saucepan over a low heat. Finish with the rest of the butter, season with salt and pepper. Add a few drops of the truffle oil to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice. Add a touch more butter if required

Soused Cauliflower Florets

Put the shallots into a large saucepan with the olive oil and cook gently, without colouring, until they are soft and transparent. Add the thyme and bay leaf and continue to cook for 1 minute. Now add the honey, vinegar, peppercorns and water. Bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins. Pass through a sieve and leave to cool, reserving the cooking liquid.

Place cauliflower florets and salt into a saucepan and cover with the cool cooking liquid. Bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 20mins until the florets are soft. Leave to cool in the cooking juice.

Method

Purée: Reheat the cauliflower purée and check the seasoning. Finish with a few drops of white truffle oil and place in a squeezy plastic bottle, standing it in a saucepan of hot water to keep it warm. If you don’t have a squeezy bottle, leave the purée in the saucepan, cover the top with clingfilm and keep in a warm place.

Sauce: Cook the shallots in 50g of butter with the cumin and a pinch of salt, without colouring. Add the mushrooms and cook until they look slippery. Add the fish stock and simmer until reduced by half. In a separate pan, reduce the wine by a third and add it to the reduced stock. Now add the cream, bring to the boil, and reduce to the required consistency. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve, then whisk in the remaining 25g of butter and correct the seasoning.

Garnish: Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan and add the soused cauliflower florets. Once the mixture becomes nice and brown, put it back into the blender and blend to a puree. Add a little white truffle oil and adjust the texture with a little cooking stock. Season with salt and pepper.

Scallops: Season the scallops with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat some olive oil in a non-stick pan, add a knob of butter, then add the scallops, and pan-fry them for 2 minutes. Once they start to colour, flip them over and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes, being careful not to overcook them. Squeeze some lemon juice over them.

To assemble: Spread some cauliflower purée in the middle of each serving plate and place the scallops on top. Put 3 cauliflower florets on each plate and sprinkle some ground cumin down the centre. Add some salad leaves to each plate and drizzle with a little white truffle oil. Finally, blend the sauce with a hand blender and spoon it over.