Sea Scallops with cauliflower purée and capers

Serves 4

Rica, the editor of my first cookbook, and her chef husband, Cyrille, from Brittany, invited me for dinner. The food was so good, the evening so pleasant, that I asked them if I could use this recipe in my current book.

1 navel orange Sea salt and ground black pepper 1 cauliflower 90g unsalted butter 20 large scallops 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 80ml chicken stock

2 tbsp white wine

2 tbsp capers Handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves

Grate the zest from the orange and set aside. Slice the top and bottom off the orange, then follow the curve of the fruit to remove the peel and white pith. Working over a bowl, slice between the membranes to separate into segments. Cut each segment into pieces and set aside in the bowl.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Break the cauliflower into florets, add to the pan and cook for about 10 minutes until tender to the point of a knife. Try not to overcook it or the purée will be gelatinous. Drain and then purée in a blender or food processor with 45g of the butter. Keep warm in a very low oven.

Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season. In a large sauté pan, heat 30g of the butter with the olive oil over a high heat. When the butter starts to foam, swirl the pan continuously until it turns light brown. Add the scallops and sear on each side until lightly golden,

3 to 4 minutes in total.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to the boil over a high heat. Add the wine and continue to boil for a few minutes. Remove from the heat and swirl in the remaining 15g butter, the capers, and the orange segments together with any juice.

Spoon the cauliflower purée into shallow bowls or plates and top with the scallops. Spoon the caper sauce over and around the scallops, then sprinkle the orange zest and parsley leaves on top. Serve immediately.