Scallops with creamed leeks

SERVES 2 READY IN 25 MINS

2 leeks, halved lengthways, then thinly sliced into half moons Knob of butter

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2 garlic cloves, sliced 3–4 thyme

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sprigs 200ml medium dry cider

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150ml double cream 8–12 large

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hand-dived scallops, removed from the shells 1tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

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1 Wash and drain the sliced leeks. Set a pan over a hot fire and add the butter. When it’s bubbling away, add the sliced garlic and sizzle it for a minute or so without letting it burn. Strip the leaves from half the thyme and add these to the garlic – they will pop and crackle.

2 Scatter in the leeks, season with salt and pepper and give them a stir. Cook, stirring regularly, until the leeks are soft and silky. This may take up to 10 mins.

3 Now, add the cider and let it come up to a simmer and bubble away for a minute or two. Pour in the cream and simmer until the sauce has thickened. Season with a little more salt and pepper to taste, and keep warm.

4 Strip the remaining thyme from the stems and scatter it over the scallops (keep the shells). Season and trickle over the extra-virgin olive oil. Gently turn the scallops through the thyme and oil.

5 Make sure the fire is super-hot before you start cooking the scallops – you need a broad bed of white-hot embers. Add more fuel and let it burn back, if necessary. The leeks can wait to one side. Use tongs to set the scallops on the grill and cook for 1–2 mins on each side until golden, before turning them over and cook them on the other side.

6 Lay out the scallop shells over the grill. Divide the creamy leeks equally between the shells, then top each one with a grilled scallop. Eat hot.