Ingredients

• 2 free-range egg yolks
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 275ml/10fl oz sunflower oil
• 25g/1oz chopped capers
• 25g/1oz chopped gherkin
• 20g/¾oz diced cucumber
• 20-30 cooked cockles
• 6 spears asparagus
• peeled
• 150ml/5fl oz light olive oil
• plus extra for frying
• 30g/1¼oz mint leaves
• 4 large scallops
• roe removed
• 25g/1oz butter
• bunch watercress leaves
• bunch rocket leaves

Directions

• For the tartare sauce
• whisk the egg yolks
• mustard and vinegar in a bowl
• then slowly whisk in the sunflower oil until the mayonnaise is thick and smooth. Stir in the capers
• gherkins
• cucumber and cockles
• saving a few cockles for garnish.
• For the salad
• blanch the asparagus in a pan of salted boiling water until just cooked
• then refresh in cold water. Season the asparagus with a little olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Blend the mint and olive oil in a blender until smooth
• then pass through a sieve into a clean bowl.
• Heat a frying pan until hot
• add a little olive oil and the scallops and fry on each side for 45 seconds
• then add a knob of butter and season with salt.
• To serve
• arrange the asparagus and scallops on serving plates
• top with the cockle tartare and salad leaves. Scatter with the remaining cockles across the plate and finish with a drizzle of mint oil.