Pan-fried scallops with polenta, cima di rapa and red wine vinegar (See previous page)

Good scallops can be hard to find, so if your fishmonger has some and they’re in their shells, snap them up! The key to success is to sear them quickly in a smoking-hot pan. You could substitute the cima di rapa with broccoli or any braised greens, such as chard or spinach. Serves 4 as a starter

 8 large scallops in their shells  100g coarse polenta (not quick cook)  3½tbsp olive oil  200g cima di rapa or longstem broccoli, trimmed  1 garlic clove, finely sliced  8 sage leaves  1tbsp miniature capers in vinegar, drained  4 salted anchovies in oil, drained and chopped  1tbsp red wine vinegar  Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Using a sharp knife, cut down through the flat shell of the scallops, exposing the meat. Carefully spoon out the contents. 2 Place the scallops on a chopping board and carefully remove and discard the excess bits, while keeping the orange corals intact. 3 Wash the scallops quickly in fresh water and pat dry on kitchen paper. Leave to one side. (A brief rinsing is important – don’t soak, as scallops absorb water easily and will then boil when you cook them.) 4 Pour 400ml water into a saucepan and add a pinch of salt. Place over a high heat and, when the water comes to the boil, very gradually whisk in the polenta. Once you have added all the polenta, reduce the heat and cook for 30min, until it no longer sticks to the side of the pan. Season to taste and add 1tbsp of the olive oil. Leave the pan to one side in a warm place. 5 Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the cima di rapa or broccoli and blanch for 2min, until tender. Remove from the water, roughly chop and set aside. 6 Heat 1tbsp of the olive oil in a saucepan on a medium heat. When hot, add the sliced garlic, then the chopped greens and cook gently for about 4min. Season to taste and leave to one side in a warm place. 7 Heat a non-stick frying pan on a high heat until it starts to smoke. Mix the cleaned scallops in a bowl with 1tbsp of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Carefully place the scallops in the dry, smoking pan, flat sides downwards – there will be a lot of smoke but they need a high heat so they develop flavour as they sear. After 1min, turn over scallops and turn off the heat immediately. Transfer to a warm plate. 8 Place the remaining ½tbsp of the olive oil in the scallop pan and add the sage leaves, capers and chopped anchovies. Add the red wine vinegar and leave to warm through in the residual heat of the frying pan. 9 Meanwhile, place a spoonful of the polenta onto each of 4 warmed plates, followed by the greens. Place 2 scallops on top of each plate, then drizzle the anchovy mixture over the top. Season with black pepper before serving.