Ingredients

• 110g/4oz green papaya
• peeled
• seeds removed
• julienned
• 4 spring onions
• trimmed
• julienned
• 2 pomelos
• peeled
• segmented
• roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
• shredded
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh holy basil leaves (available from some supermarkets and Asian grocers)
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• ½ lime
• juice only
• ½ garlic clove
• crushed to a paste with the edge of a knife
• 1 tsp finely grated ginger
• 1 tbsp nuoc nam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
• 1 red chilli
• finely chopped
• 12 scallops
• cleaned
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp uncooked basmati rice
• toasted in a dry frying pan until pale golden-brown
• crushed
• 1 x 20g/¾oz punnet cress

Directions

• For the papaya salad
• in a bowl
• mix together the green papaya
• spring onions
• pomelos
• mint
• coriander and holy basil until well combined.
• For the dressing
• grind the palm sugar
• lime juice
• garlic and ginger in a pestle and mortar until they form a smooth paste. Add the nuoc nam (Vietnamese fish sauce) and chilli and stir well to combine.
• For the Vietnamese scallops
• brush the scallops all over with vegetable oil.
• Heat a frying pan over a high heat until smoking
• then add the scallops and cook without moving them for 20-30 seconds
• or until the bottom half of each scallop has turned opaque.
• Turn the scallops and repeat the process until the scallops are completely opaque (do not overcook the scallops or they will be chewy). Remove from the pan and set aside.
• To serve
• add the toasted
• crushed rice to the salad
• then drizzle over half of the dressing. Mix together until well combined
• then pile into the centre of three serving plates. Place four of the scallops on top of each salad and garnish with the cress. Spoon over the remaining dressing.