Seared Scallops with Chorizo Butter, Cauliflower Puree and Pea Shoots

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour & 5 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour & 25 minutes

Ingredients:
12 scallops, roe removed
olive oil
sea salt
white pepper
handful of pea shoots
1 small head of cauliflower
1 ltr whole milk
220 g unsalted butter
180 g cooking chorizo

Directions:
1. Score your chorizo with a sharp knife and peel off the skin. Roughly tear it apart and place into a saucepan. Add 200 g of butter and turn the heat down to its lowest setting. Leave the mixture to cook for 45 minutes so all the flavour from the chorizo is extracted. After 45 minutes take the pan off the heat and strain the liquid into a bowl through a sieve. Try not to pour in any sediment which might be left at the bottom of the pan. Place the bowl in the fridge for at least an hour for the butter to set.

2. Cut the cauliflower head into quarters and remove the core. Roughly chop up the florets and place into your pan. Pour in enough milk to just cover the cauliflower. Give the mixture a stir and then bring up to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the cauliflower is soft.

3. Once the cauliflower has cooked, strain off the milk and place it to one side. Put the cauliflower into a liquidizer and pour in a small amount of the reserved cooking milk. Season with white pepper and then blitz the ingredients until smooth. Add a little bit more milk if needed if your purée is too thick and blitz for a few more seconds.

4. Once the purée is smooth and has become a bright white colour, add in 25 g of butter. Blitz the purée again to mix in the butter. If you are making the purée in advance, pour it into a bowl, cover in cling film and place it into the fridge. You can then heat it through when you are ready to serve your dish. However, if you want to use the purée straight away pour it back into the pan and place on a low heat while you cook the scallops.

5. Remove the chorizo butter from the fridge. Pour some olive oil into a bowl and add your scallops. Add a large pinch of sea salt and a sprinkle of white pepper and using your hands coat the scallops in the seasoning. To ensure your scallops cook evenly add them to a frying pan on a medium heat, in a clockwise pattern starting at 12 o'clock and working your way around the pan. After 1-2 minutes turn your scallops over. Add a spoonful of chorizo butter to the pan and as it melts spoon it over the scallops. Cook the scallops for another 1-2 minutes before removing them from the heat. Drain the cooked scallops on kitchen towel.

6. Spoon some of your warmed up cauliflower purée onto the middle of your serving plate. Place 3 drained scallops on top and pour over a small amount of the chorizo butter. Garnish with some pea shoots and serve.