Starters

Seared Scallops on Celeriac Mash

Scallops are so deliciously sweet and tender when prepared correctly, and together with celeriac mash, which is also quite sweet, you have a wonderfully tasty and unusual dish. Serve it with blanched samphire. Sophisticated, quick and very special!

Ingredients (Serves 2)

1 large celeriac, washed
4 – 6 scallops
125ml coconut cream (not coconut milk)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 punnet samphire
1 tbsp coconut oil
Watercress sprouts for garnishing

Preheat your oven to 200C. Roast the whole celerica in the overn for about 2 hours, until very soft. Cut the celeriac in half and scoop out the soft flesh. Place the celeriac flesh and coconut cream in a blender and process until smooth (a Nutribullet works very well but the celeriac must be cool!). Season to taste and set aside.

Blanche the samphire for a few minutes until wilted. Dry and set aside.

Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a non-stick pan and sear the scallops on each side for 2 minutes on each side (no longer than that, or the scallop will be over-cooked!). Season with salt.

To plate, place a spoonful of celeriac mash in the middle of the plate, place the scallops on top of the mash and the samphire on top of the scallops. Decorate with the watercress sprouts and drizzle a little olive oil around the side for extra effect.

Tomato Consommé with Bruschetta and Tomato Salsa

I love tomatoes. They are so full of flavour and vitamins (Vitamin C, K, potassium, folate) and contain the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to health benefits such as reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. There are people who do not like the texture of tomatoes, especially the inside flesh. I took that into account with the following recipe, especially the bruschetta with the tomato topping. The recipe may be a little bit labour intensive, but it will be worth it in the end!

Consommé
Ingredients

4 cups filtered water
I portion of basic tomato sauce (see my recipe for tomato sauce for pasta under Mains)
250g fresh tomatoes, ripe and chopped (the vine tomatoes tend to be the sweetest when nearly over ripe!)
6 fresh basil leaves
Sprig of fresh oregano
3 egg whites
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

Add the water to the previously made tomato sauce and mix thoroughly. Place all the ingredients in a food processor (apart from the egg whites and sugar) and blitz well. Now add the egg whites and sugar and blitz again until well mixed.

Pour into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, whisking constantly, for 15 minutes. The egg whites will rise to the surface and start to form a crust, but don’t disturb it, as it forms the basis of your filter that will clarify the soup. Line a sieve with a piece of new muslin (unused) or a new tea towel (not a newly washed on, as the soap and fabric softener used in washing will change the taste of the soup). Scoop the egg white crust into the sieve, taking care to line the muslin or towel with it. Now gently scoop the liquid over the crust, one ladle at a time. Allow the liquid to pass through the sieve first before adding another ladle. Allow all the clear liquid to strain through the sieve. Do not use a spoon to force it through.

Return the clear liquid (the consomme) to a clean saucepan and reheat, taking care not to boil it. If you feel the consomme needs salt, add a little, but take care not to disturb the gentle flavour!

Serve with bruschetta and tomato salsa.

Tomato Salsa for Bruschetta
Ingredients

4 large ripe, extra red tomatoes
2 cloves garlic (or more, depending on how much you like garlic!), minced
1 extra clove of garlic, peeled
Fresh basil, torn into thin strips (basil tends to discolour when cut)
1 fresh loaf Bruschetta, sliced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 200C. Wash the tomatoes, and cut away the skin from the pulp and seeds. Discard the pulp and seeds. Chop the skin into small squares. Place the tomatoes, garlic and basil into a bowl, add a little olive oil and mix through. Taste and add salt and pepper to the mix.

Take the bruschetta slices and rub with the peeled garlic. Brush with a little olive oil and place the slices on a roasting rack. Roast in the oven until golden brown – be careful not to burn them! Leave to cool down – I find the crunchier the bread, the less the chances of it going soggy when you add the tomato salsa. When you are ready to serve the soup, pile salsa onto the brushcetta slices and serve.

Enjoy!