Ingredients

• 310g/11oz baking potatoes
• 8 scallops in their shells
• well-scrubbed
• salt
• to stand the shells on
• 2 free-range eggs
• yolks only
• 125g/4½oz butter
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 25g/1oz plain white flour
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 15g/½oz Gruyère
• finely grated
• 15g/½oz fine breadcrumbs
• 175g/6oz butter
• 1 banana shallot
• finely chopped
• 1 carrot
• finely diced
• 4 baby leeks
• trimmed
• 2 sticks celery
• cut in half lengthways then widthways
• 2 medium shallots
• finely sliced
• 150ml/5fl oz white wine
• 150ml/5fl oz fish stock
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 150ml/5fl oz champagne
• 2 tomatoes
• skinned
• deseeded and finely diced
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh chervil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
• ½ lemon
• juice only
• 100g/3½oz dulse seaweed

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
• or until cooked through.
• Meanwhile
• remove the scallops from the shell
• clean well and discard the corals
• leaving the main flesh of the scallop.
• Clean four of the deep halves of the shells and place them in the oven for a couple of minutes to dry out. Remove from the oven and place onto a baking tray
• with the shells sat 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 potato ricer into a bowl. Add the egg yolks and 25g/1oz of the butter and work with a wooden spatula until smooth.
• Season lightly with salt and pepper then place in a piping bag and set aside.
• Season the scallops with salt and 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.
• To make the sauce
• heat a large sauté pan and add 75g/2½oz of the butter. Once hot
• add the banana shallot
• carrots
• leeks and celery and cook until soft.
• Heat a frying pan and add the rest of the butter. Once hot
• add the shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the white wine and heat until reduced in volume by half
• add the fish stock and reduce by half again. Add the cream and reduce by half again. Add the champagne
• tomatoes
• herbs and lemon juice and remove from the heat.
• Preheat the grill on a high setting.
• Using a slotted spoon remove some vegetables from the sauce and place 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. Pour over the champagne sauce.
• Cover generously with piped mashed potato and sprinkle with Gruyère and breadcrumbs.
• Place the baking tray with scallops on under the grill for 1-2 minutes
• until the potato is pale golden-brown.
• To serve
• pile salt into the centre of four plates. Sprinkle dulse over the salt. Carefully place the scallop shells on top of the dulse
• and serve immediately.