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Scallops wrapped in pancetta with broccoli soup
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 800g green broccoli, broken into florets, stalks chopped
- olive oil, for frying
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 8 scallops, in the shell
- 8 rashers pancetta
- 160g purple sprouting broccoli, stalks removed, leaves reserved
- extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Method
To make the soup, bring 1.5 litres salted water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add the green broccoli florets and stalks and return to the boil for 2 minutes.
Heat a deep, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-to-high heat, then add a good splash of oil. When it is hot, add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a further 30 seconds.
Add the broccoli and all the cooking liquid to the pan with the onion, season and cook for a further 3 minutes, or until tender.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour the soup into a bowl set over a larger bowl of ice and set aside to cool. Cooling the soup this way helps it retain its bright green colour. Remove the scallops from their
shells and discard the corals. Rinse well and pat dry. Wrap a pancetta strip around the edge of each scallop, gently pressing the pancetta so it stays in position.
Heat a non-stick sauté pan over a medium-to-high heat, then add a splash of olive oil. When it is hot, add the scallops to the pan and fry them for 11⁄2 minutes on each side until they are lightly golden. Add the purple sprouting broccoli and the reserved leaves and cook for a further minute, rolling the scallops on their sides so the pancetta is crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.
Reheat the soup and season to taste. Ladle it into bowls, add the scallops and top with the purple sprouting broccoli, broccoli leaves and a little cracked pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve.
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