Ingredients

• 3 thin slices streaky bacon
• 25g/1oz butter
• ½ fennel bulb
• diced
• 1 small carrot
• peeled and diced
• 1 piece celeriac
• peeled and diced
• 1 celery stick
• diced
• 200g/7oz diced smoked pancetta
• 1 Savoy cabbage
• shredded
• 125ml/4fl oz white wine
• 500ml/18fl oz light chicken stock
• 2 sprigs of tarragon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 king scallops
• halved
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• knob of unsalted butter
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• basil leaves
• to garnish
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Put the thin rashers of bacon between two baking trays and bake for 10–15 minutes
• until the bacon is really crispy and flat. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low heat and fry the fennel
• carrot
• celeriac
• celery and half the pancetta together until soft. Add the cabbage and pour in the wine. Cook until the wine has evaporated
• season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the remaining pancetta and tarragon and heat through until the pancetta is cooked. Strain through a sieve
• reserve the stock and season with salt and pepper. Discard the pancetta and tarragon.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and sauté the scallops until golden-brown. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan
• along with a knob of butter and a sprig of thyme. Baste the scallops and set aside.
• To serve
• divide the cabbage between two wide bowls
• top with the scallops
• pour over some stock
• garnish with basil leaves and snap over some bacon shards.