Ingredients

• 300g/10½oz medium baking potatoes
• washed
• 8 scallops
• in the shell
• well scrubbed
• 400ml/14fl oz fish stock
• 2 free-range eggs
• yolks only
• 125g/4½oz butter
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 25g/1oz plain flour
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 15g/½oz gruyere
• finely grated
• 15g/½oz fine breadcrumbs
• 75g/2¾oz butter
• 1 banana shallot
• finely chopped
• 12 spears fine asparagus
• trimmed
• 12 baby leeks
• trimmed
• 6 baby fennel bulbs
• cut in half lengthways then widthways
• 500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
• 2 tbsp chives
• finely chopped

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Prick the potatoes with a knife then place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until cooked through.
• Meanwhile
• remove the scallops from the shell
• clean well and trim
• leaving the main flesh of the scallop.
• Place the trimmings into a saucepan with the fish stock and warm through.
• Clean four of the deep halves of the shells then place in the oven for a couple of minutes to dry out. Remove the shells from the oven and place them onto a baking tray on mounds of salt to keep them level.
• Remove the cooked potatoes from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before cutting them in half and scooping out the flesh.
• Pass the potato flesh through a ricer into a bowl then add the egg yolks and 25g/1oz of the butter and work with a wooden spatula until smooth.
• Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper then place into a piping bag and pipe carefully around the edge of the four shells set on the baking tray.
• Heat a saucepan until just hot
• then melt 50g/2oz of the butter
• then stir in the flour and cook for two minutes to make a roux.
• Take the pan off the heat. Pour the warm fish stock through a sieve into the roux
• stirring all the time. Add the double cream
• then put the pan back on the heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for a couple of minutes
• whisking frequently until thickened. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and keep warm.
• Pre-heat the grill on a high setting.
• Season the scallops with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a frying pan until hot
• add the remaining butter and cook the scallops on each side for 1-1½ minutes until golden-brown. Remove the scallops from the pan and place on kitchen paper to drain.
• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil
• add the vegetables and blanch for two minutes
• or until just tender. Remove the vegetables from the pan.
• Place the vegetables into each scallop shell
• so that they are visible over the edge of the shell. Place two scallops in each shell on top of the vegetables. Add some sprigs of the fennel top.
• Cover generously with the roux and fish stock sauce
• and sprinkle with gruyere and breadcrumbs.
• Place the baking tray with the scallops on
• under the grill for 1-2 minutes
• until the sauce is lightly glazed and the potato border pale golden.
• To serve
• pile salt into the centre of four plates. Carefully place the scallop shell on top of the salt and serve immediately.