Roast scallops, curry and piccalilli

Method

1. To make the cauliflower piccalilli, put the vinegar, sugar and salt in a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer for 10 minutes. Mix together all the dried spices and chilli and wrap in a muslin cloth, then tie tightly. Add to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the cornflour and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Add the cucumber and onion and bring back to a simmer. Tip the mixture into a large bowl, cover and chill in the fridge for 3 days. Strain the vegetables, keeping the liquor, and remove the spice bag. Tip the vegetables into a food processor and pulse, adding enough cooking liquor to make a coarse purée.

2. To make the pickled raisins, put all the ingredients apart from the raisins in a saucepan, add 300ml/10fl oz water and a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Add the raisins, remove from the heat and leave to cool. Leave to marinate for 1 day.

3. To make the curry oil, toast the spices, garlic and a large pinch of salt in a frying pan until aromatic. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and grind until coarse. Put in a sous vide bag with the oil, bring to 90C for 60 minutes in a sous vide machine, then cool in iced water and marinate for at least a day. If you don’t have a sous vide machine, don’t cook it; just leave it cold.

4. To make the curry paste, put a frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the red peppers in the oil for 2–3 minutes, or until softening and a little golden. Add the shallots and a large pinch of salt and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until lightly caramelized. Add the garlic, fresh ginger and all the dried spices and cook for 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mango and cook over a low heat for 2 hours, or until reduced and thick, stirring, from time to time. Remove the bay and star anise and purée the mixture until it is very smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and season to taste.

5. To make the cauliflower purée, put the cauliflower in a saucepan. Add the milk, cream, sugar, turmeric, curry powder, 15g/½oz of the curry paste and a pinch of salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15–20 minutes, or until just soft but not stewed. Drain and reserve the liquid and tip the cauliflower into a food processor. Pulse, adding enough of the cooking liquid to make a smooth purée. Pass through a fine sieve and chill. Reserve the remaining cooking liquor for serving.

6. To make the spiced mango purée, heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic and bay plus salt and pepper and heat for 2 minutes, or until just soft. Add all the other spices and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, all the mango, sugar and ¾ teaspoon salt and bring to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, or until you have a thick purée. Add the lime juice and zest and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the bay and star anise, then purée in the food processor until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and chill, then transfer to a squeezy bottle.

7. To serve, dust the scallops with the curry powder and seasoning. Heat the oil and butter in a frying pan until hot. Add the scallops and fry for 2–3 minutes, turning part way through, until lightly caramelized. Squeeze over a little lemon juice.

8. For each portion, put 60g/2oz piccalilli in a large ring for each portion, then remove the ring. Squeeze two dots of each purée on the piccalilli, then 6 raisins followed by 3 scallops, then drizzle over the curry oil. Froth the remaining cauliflower liquor and serve with the scallops.