Steve Drake’s roast scallops with pink grapefruit, sweet potato and chorizo recipe

PUBLISHED: 16:03 19 October 2015 | UPDATED: 16:19 19 October 2015

Steve Drake's scallops keep things fresh (Photo: Cath Lowe)

of cath lowe photogtraphy

Fancy freshening up your recipe book this autumn? Well, we’ve challenged three of Surrey’s top chefs to showcase the flavours of the season with their own individual flourish. As well as a hearty pumpkin soup and a delicate dish with in-season scallops, we also have a decadent gateau; all perfect for warming up with after a bracing stroll...

Originally published in Surrey Life magazine October 2015

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Serves: 4

Surrey Life chef of the year for the second year in a row, Michelin-starred Steve Drake, of Drake’s in Ripley, suggests this dish with in-season fresh sea scallops.

Ingredients:

For the scallops

8-12 scallops, cleaned and dried on kitchen roll

Olive oil

Small handful of rocket

For the pink grapefruit caramel

100g caster sugar

20ml water

200ml pink grapefruit juice

For the sweet potato fondants

1 sweet potato, peeled and

sliced (8mm)

100g salted butter, diced

Salt and pepper

For the pickled sweet potato

½ sweet potato

100ml distilled vinegar

50g caster sugar

Olive oil

For the chorizo

1 small chorizo sausage, diced (2mm)

Olive oil

Method:

For the pink grapefruit caramel

• To make the caramel, put the sugar in a medium pan with enough water to make it go sludgy. Place on a low heat and bring to the boil, then cook until you have a dark amber caramel. Add the juice and reduce to 125ml.

For the sweet potato fondants

• Place the sliced potato in a pan with the butter, season and add a few tablespoons of water. Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes, then turn. Cook for a further five minutes, testing with a cocktail stick. Remove from pan. Cut into triangles.

For the pickled sweet potato

• Slice the potato ultra-thinly. Bring the vinegar and sugar to the boil. Cool, pour over the potato and macerate for 10 minutes. Pour off the liquid then drizzle with olive oil.

For the scallops

• Heat a Teflon pan and gently fry the scallops one side until golden, turn, and continue cooking till they have a small amount of ‘bounce’ (scallops are done when the scallop has slightly hardened and the fork should bounce back slightly).

To finish…

Warm the chorizo in a little olive oil. Brush some caramel across the plate with a pastry brush, add the chorizo, and then the scallops. Add the sweet potato and then garnish with rocket.

More autumn recipes from Surrey chefs:

Louise Johncox’s Black Forest Gateau

Andrew Maxwell’s pumpkin and red pepper soup with Dolcelatte and parma ham straws