Autumn is a busy time of year. Preserving the last of summer crops, cleaning out the veggie patch and re-planting with winter crops. Transition. It's really hard to pull out the tomatoes and other crops that have given us so much during the warm months. I don't know if it's just be, but you nurture them, feed them, shade them if it's too hot and it's kind of sad ripping them out! You think I'd be used to it now but I think it will always bother me.
With the cool change in the weather I decided to get stuck into my broad beans that I froze last year. If you don't have any broad beans you could use peas. Make sure you dry out and toast the ground almonds, it really makes it tasty. I love the combination of almond, scallops and pancetta with a zesty lemon dressing.
GRILLED SCALLOPS
w ALMOND, PANCETTA & BROAD BEAN SALAD
Serves 2-4 I Gluten Free I Egg Free I Soy Free I Dairy Free I Sugar Free
PROVISIONS
- 2 spring onions
- 2 large handfuls podded broad beans
- ½ cup fresh dill
- 1 lemon, zested & juiced
- Splash extra virgin olive oil
- 100g pancetta, rind removed & cut into lardons
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 150g ground almonds
- Small handful rocket leaves
- 8 scallops
- Salt and freshly cracked pepper
METHOD
- Clean the spring onions, chop and separate white & green part.
- To double pod the broad beans heat a small pot of boiling water. Add your broad beans and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, run under cold water. Use your thumb to pop out the bright green bean inside, discard the skin. Set aside.
- To make the dressing, in a food processor combine white part of spring onion, dill, lemon juice, olive oil and season. Process until combined and set aside.
- Heat a saucepan on medium, add pancetta and cook until crispy, using a slotted spoon remove pancetta and set aside.
- In the same pan add your garlic and your remaining spring onions. Cook for 30 seconds. Add ground almonds, stir until toasted and golden. Turn off heat then add lemon zest, broad beans, pancetta, rocket, season and dress with half the dressing - stir to coat. Serve onto a platter or individual plates.
- Wipe the same pan clean and heat on a high heat.
- Pat scallops dry with paper towel. Drizzle over a little olive oil and season, coat all sides and pop straight into your hot pan. Cook for 1 minute on each side, pop on top of your salad, drizzle over remaining dressing and serve.