“I put this dish on at Cafe St Honoré when we receive a hoard of ceps. It always sells well and is delicious. Cook the ceps, black pudding and scallops in the same pan as all the flavours marry well, and the fat released from the black pudding adds extra flavour to the ceps and shellfish. Don’t be afraid of the butter sauce, or beurre blanc as we chefs call it. A little splash of cream stabilizes the reduction and prevents the sauce from splitting.”
Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango
Serves 1
Prep time: 15 minutes; cooking time 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 to 3 hand-dived scallops, coral left on
1 slice of Stornoway black pudding
A small handful of ceps, lightly washed
2 peppercorns
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig tarragon
100ml white wine
100ml white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon double cream
75g unsalted butter, 1cm cubes
A few wood sorrel leaves, optional
Good salt and pepper
Juice from half a lemon
1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
1 knob butter
METHOD
Prepare the ceps by cutting in half and scoring a criss-cross pattern on the cut sides.
Make a butter sauce by adding the wine, vinegar, peppercorns and herbs to a small pan and reducing to a couple of tablespoons. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan and add the cream. Whisk together and bring to just below the boil. Then add the butter one cube at a time until emulsified. Season with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon. Keep at a steady temperature until needed.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in large non-stick frying pan on a high heat on the hob. Once hot, add the black pudding, scallops, ceps, Thyme and tarragon. Season the scallops and ceps. Cook everything for 2 minutes before turning. Once turned, season the scallops and ceps again with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Ensure the black pudding has a nice crust all over.
To serve, place the black pudding, scallops and ceps on a warmed plate. Spoon over the butter sauce and decorate with the zesty wood sorrel.