Ingredients

• 1 fennel bulb
• cut into 1cm/½in thick slices
• top fronds reserved for garnish
• 1 orange
• juice only
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 75ml/3fl oz vegetable stock
• 50ml/2fl oz water
• 75g/3oz caster sugar
• 20g/¾oz butter
• 200g/7oz ready-made puff pastry
• rolled to 5mm/¼in thick
• corals from 3 scallops (see below)
• 55ml/2fl oz water
• 2 shallots
• finely chopped
• 90ml/3½fl oz Sauternes wine
• 150g/5oz chilled butter
• cut into pieces
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 25g/1oz butter
• 6 hand-dived scallops
• shells removed
• corals separated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Place the fennel
• orange juice
• thyme
• vegetable stock and water into a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes
• or until the fennel is just tender. Drain the fennel
• discarding the cooking liquid
• and pat dry.
• Divide the sugar between two small blini pans and heat gently without stirring until the sugar caramelises and turns golden-brown. Remove from the heat
• then divide the butter between the two pans and stir. Divide the fennel slices between the pans.
• Cut out two circles of pastry slightly larger than the circumference of the pans. Place the pastry over the fennel
• pressing down around the edges to enclose the filling.
• Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes
• or until the pastry is golden-brown and cooked through.
• For the Sauternes beurre blanc
• place three of the scallop corals into a blender with the water and blend until smooth (you can freeze the remaining three corals for use in another dish
• but only if the scallops have not been previously frozen).
• Place the shallots
• the coral purée and the Sauternes into a frying pan. Bring to the boil
• then reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half.
• Whisk in the butter
• a little at a time
• until well combined
• then season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• For the scallops
• heat the butter in a frying pan until foaming. Season the scallops with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• then place in the frying pan and cook on each side for 1-2 minutes
• or until just cooked through.
• To serve
• carefully turn the tarte tatins out onto serving plates. Place three scallops onto the centre of each tarte tatin
• then spoon the beurre blanc over the scallops and around the edge. Top with a sprig of fennel top.