Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz Castelluccio lentils
• 1½ garlic cloves
• the whole clove peeled and half clove sliced
• extra virgin olive oil for dressing
• 500g/1lb 2oz Swiss chard leaves
• stem and thick veins removed and leaves halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• crushed
• 12 scallops (with roe)
• cleaned
• 1 tsp small capers in vinegar
• drained
• 1 fresh red chilli
• finely chopped
• 12 sage leaves
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Put the lentils in a pan with the whole garlic clove. Cover with water and bring to a simmer
• then cook for 20–25 minutes until tender. Drain the lentils. Season and add a good dash of extra virgin olive oil
• then cover and keep warm.
• Meanwhile
• blanch the Swiss chard leaves in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes until tender. Drain well
• squeezing out excess water.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a clean pan and fry the sliced garlic with the fennel seeds over a medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add the drained Swiss chard and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper
• remove from the heat
• cover and keep warm.
• Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Toss the scallops in a bowl with salt
• pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the pan is very hot
• carefully place the scallops in the pan and cook for 1 minute on each side until golden-brown and cooked through. Add the capers
• chilli
• sage leaves and a squeeze of lemon. Serve hot
• with the lentils and Swiss chard.