Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
10 to 30 mins
Serves
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 3 thin slices streaky bacon
- 25g/1oz butter
- ½ fennel bulb, diced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 piece celeriac, peeled and diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 200g/7oz diced smoked pancetta
- 1 Savoy cabbage, shredded
- 125ml/4fl oz white wine
- 500ml/18fl oz light chicken stock
- 2 sprigs of tarragon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 king scallops, halved
- 1 lemon, juice only
- knob of unsalted butter
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- basil leaves, to garnish
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Put the thin rashers of bacon between two baking trays and bake for 10–15 minutes, until the bacon is really crispy and flat. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low heat and fry the fennel, carrot, celeriac, celery and half the pancetta together until soft. Add the cabbage and pour in the wine. Cook until the wine has evaporated, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the remaining pancetta and tarragon and heat through until the pancetta is cooked. Strain through a sieve, reserve the stock and season with salt and pepper. Discard the pancetta and tarragon.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and sauté the scallops until golden-brown. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan, along with a knob of butter and a sprig of thyme. Baste the scallops and set aside.
To serve, divide the cabbage between two wide bowls, top with the scallops, pour over some stock, garnish with basil leaves and snap over some bacon shards.