Scallops with Minted Peas Recipe

Fill and boil your kettle and make up the stock. Put the peas into a saucepan together with a generous knob of butter, then pour in the hot stock. Season to your taste with pepper and a little salt, then bring the pan up to a simmer and let it cook for three minutes. Carefully tip the contents of the pan into a food processor, then drop in the chopped mint leaves and blend to a purée (you can choose how smooth or chunky to make it, according to preference). Check you’re happy with the seasoning, then tip the purée back into its saucepan to keep warm.

Next, season the scallops with a little salt and pepper. Place a frying pan over a medium-high flame and add the olive oil and another little knob of butter. When the butter has melted and the oil is hot, add in the scallops and cook them for one minute on each side, so that they take on a nice golden-brown colour. To serve, carefully spoon a bed of the warm pea purée on to each of two plates. Divide the scallops evenly between the plates, sitting them on top of the purée, and arrange a few pea shoots around or beside them. Drizzle the shoots with a little balsamic vinegar, then serve.