Seared scallops with black pudding and cauliflower puree
Posted: 27 January '10 by Niall
Scallops with black pudding and cauliflower puree
This was a dish that we first tasted in Clenaghan’s in Aghalee and we loved it that much that it’s become a favourite treat in our house.
The delicate flesh and sweet flavour of the scallops goes surprisingly well with the rich, spicy rounds of black pudding, and the cauliflower puree provides a subtle base and creaminess for the whole dish.
The secret to perfecting this recipe are the quality of the ingredients: fresh scallops and Clonakilty black pudding are a must. We usually buy our scallops from the Northern Ireland Fishermen’s Federation stall and the Clonakilty black pudding was bought from the Greenmount Farm Shop – both of which are in the City Food and Garden Market in St. George’s Market on Saturday mornings.
I usually slice the scallops along the middle to make two. There’s no reason to do this other than they make for an easier mouthful, and it looks like you’ve double the scallops on your plate!
I’ve also added some curry spice to my cauliflower puree to emphasise the sweet flavour of the vegetable and bring another dimension to the recipe. Cauliflower makes a fantastic canvas for other flavours too. So let your creativity run riot and add whatever you like to the puree – grated nutmeg and even mustard work well.
You can see more photos hereImage 1Image 2Image 3Image 4Image 5Image 6Image 7
Serves 2
Ingredients
Ingredients: Seared scallops with black pudding
- Half a Clonakilty black pudding, cut into rounds that are about the same size as the scallops
- 6 scallops
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Splash of olive oil
Ingredients: For the cauliflower purée
- 1/2 a small cauliflower
- 100ml (6 tbsp.) cream
- 150g (10 tbsp.) butter
- A good pinch of curry spice
Method
Method: For the seared scallops with black pudding
- Take a sharp knife and slice where the orange scallop roe (also called “coral”) meets the scallop. There is also a small membrane which runs around the scallop and should come easily free once the roe has been removed.
- Brush your frying pan with olive oil and fry the black pudding on a medium heat until both sides have become crisp. Transfer the black pudding to a plate lined with kitchen paper and keep warm.
- Rub the scallops with a little olive oil and season them with salt and black pepper.
- Increase the heat of the frying pan until the oil smokes slightly.
- Place the scallops in the frying pan and cook – one minute on each side should do. Each side of the scallop should have a nice golden crust.
- Pat the scallops dry on kitchen paper.
Method: Cauliflower puree
- Boil the cauliflower in the milk until the cauliflower has become soft.
- Put the cream and cauliflower into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pass the mixture through a sieve.
- Cook the butter until golden brown and add to the puree, along with the curry spice.
- Season to taste with salt.
To serve
- Place a piece of black pudding in the centre of each serving plate with a scallop on top.
- Pipe or spoon a little of the purée in between.
Enjoy.
Other information
Clonakilty black pudding comes from County Cork. Produced by Edward Twomey from an old Harrington family recipe, and just crumbles in your mouth with the most delicious, more-ish flavour.
You can visit the Clonakilty black pudding website here.
You can also read more about St. George’s Market, Belfast here.
Categories: Recipes
I LOVE this combination:-) Honestly, try it!!
Cooked this at the weekend as a starter for guests and it blew their socks off!
I used Stornoway black pudding and it worked just as well.
We love it when one of the recipes on Chilli & Chocolate meets with someone else’s approval :)
The scallops with black pud and cauliflower is one of our faves – a great combination of flavours and textures..
Glad it worked out for you, Bob!
And you’re absolutely right, the Stornoway black pudding is delicious!