1270. AMARETTO SCALLOPS with BACON, CORAL FLOWER and ROASTED GARLIC PUREE

6 large scallops with roe
1 small head of garlic, roasted
1 smallish cauliflower
1 small bunch of chives, snipped
A pinch of mace
A splash of milk
A splash of Amaretto liqueur
2 shallots, finely diced
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon
Squeeze of lemon juice
Olive oil
A handful of flaked, toasted almonds, to serve.

Preheat the oven to Gas 400F.

Peel the outside paper from the garlic and cut the top off the bulb to expose the end of each clove. Drizzle with oil, then wrap loosely in foil to make a parcel like a dim sum and roast for around 30 minutes, until the cloves are soft. Fry the roes for around 30 seconds each side until cooked through. Cut the cauliflower into florets and cook in boiling salted water. Gently sauté the shallots until opaque then squeeze the cloves from their jackets and add to a food processor with the cauliflower, shallots and roes. Blend, then add a splash of milk to loosen the mixture, the mace, chives and a squeeze of lemon juice. Grill the bacon until crisp and keep warm. Drizzle some olive oil on the scallops, then add them to a very hot pan. They will need a couple of minutes each side, no more. When you are ready to flambe the scallops (after a minute or so), add a splash of Amaretto and tilt the pan (away from you!) to light the alcohol and then let it burn off. Serve a blob of the puree, some crispy bacon on top and the scallops on top of that. Scatter over the flaked almonds and serve.


courtesy of: Helen Graves, Food Stories: Seasonal Eating in London