Miles Collins

Kane and Abel on a plate!…

Here’s one about a new starter I am working on at the moment; Orkney scallops, confit duck leg and cauliflower with a bit of La Kama thrown in for good measure. There is something about scallops and cauliflower that just works, they both react well to spice and when all three are combined together make for an interesting dish.

Despite the horrendous increase in the price of scallops (sound familiar?) I like to serve them, they are my most expensive starter and I like to showcase them a bit. What I do like to do is pair expensive ingredients with cheaper ones, not because of cost but rather to show that cheaper doesn’t always mean worse.

Cheaper cuts of meat can often mean one thing; flavour. I’ve taken a cheaper meat and treated it expensively. The duck legs have been cured in a brine of rock salt, sugar and herbs, washed then cooked long and slow in duck fat flavoured with cinnamon, star anise, cloves and crushed coriander.

The meat is stripped from the bone, finely chopped, seasoned and mixed with some strained duck fat to preserve the meat. All of this is then rolled into a tight cylinder and left to set before being sliced into discs and pan fried in crushed hazlenuts and breadcrumbs.

The scallops cost a fortune at the moment but I still want to give the customer value for money. Cauliflower is cooked slowly in cream seasoned with freshly grated nutmeg until soft before being pureed to a smooth paste. The residue cream is mixed with milk and this will serve as a sauce later.  

Meanwhile, cauliflower florets are roasting in the oven flavoured with brown butter and La Kama until golden brown and nutty to smell and taste.

La Kama is dusted onto the scallops and they are pan fried at the last moment, the cauliflower puree is smeared on the plate, the duck confit is placed around the florets of caramelised cauliflower and the scallops are sat on top. The cauliflower cooking liquid is seasoned and foamed at the last moment to add lightness and flavour to the dish.

As for La Kama, it’s one of my spices of the moment, check out my food site for more information and give it a go, I’m sure you will be hooked.