Pan-fried Scottish Scallops on a leek puree with crispy bacon and kale chips
Janice Pattie
Tender juicy scallops on a leek puree topped with crispy bacon and kale chips, a feast of taste and texture.
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 10 minutesmins
Cook Time 30 minutesmins
Total Time 40 minutesmins
Course appetiser
Cuisine Scottish
Servings 4
Calories 679kcal
Ingredients
12scallops3 per person
2medium leeks
30gramsbutter
10gramskale chips
1teaspoonScottish rapeseed oil
2rashers Ayrshire middle or streaky bacon
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Instructions
To make the leek puree
Split the leeks from top to bottom and rinse thoroughly to remove any earth and grit.
Drain and chop finely.
Melt 20g butter in a saute pan on a medium heat, add the leeks and saute gently until the leeks have softened but not coloured, about 10-15 minutes, leave to cool.
When cool, puree in a liquidiser or food processor with a tablespoon of cream and a tablespoon of milk. The texture of the puree should be that of whipped cream, so add a little more liquid if it is too thick.
To make the kale chips
Cut the thick ribs out of the kale and cut into small pieces.
Rub the oil into the kale pieces
Spread onto a baking sheet and bake at 200C for 10 minutes (check frequently to make sure they don’t burn)
When crisp remove to a plate covered in kitchen paper and they will crisp up further
To make the crispy bacon
Grill or oven bake the bacon (while you are making the kale chips) until it is brittle and crisp about 5-8 minutes.
When cool, crumble into small pieces
To cook the scallops
Melt the remaining 10g butter in a frying pan on a medium to high heat.
Cook the scallops for 3 minutes each side.
To assemble
Spread a dessert spoonful of the leek puree across each plate.
Top each with three scallops
Drizzle over the buttery juices from the pan.
Sprinkle with crispy bacon and kale chips.
Place a few kale chips up either side of the row of scallops.