Seared Scallops with Minted Peas and Broad Beans

It is broad bean (AKA fava bean) season now and we decided to jump on it while the gettin' was good. We had been craving springtime food for awhile now, this seemed as good as any. We had some mint tat was slowly dying, so we had to use it up anyway.

This is adapted from a Gordon Ramsay recipe, I decided to go with a puree rather than a bunch of beans and peas just scattered around. Also, I took the butter & scallop juices and drizzled it over at the end for an extra buttery kick. Good stuff. This serves 4.

24 king scallops, shelled and cleaned
coarse sea salt
250 g podded peas, thawed if frozen
300 g podded broad beans, thawed if frozen
2 thyme sprigs, leaves only
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small knob butter
1 handful mint, leaves roughly chopped
extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Take the scallops from the fridge and set aside while you cook the vegetables. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, tip in the peas and blanch for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of iced water to refresh. Drain well and tip into a bowl.

Return the water to the boil and blanch the broad beans for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Refresh in iced water and drain again. Gently squeeze the broad beans to pop them out of their skins. Add the peas and set aside.

Put the thyme leaves on a board and sprinkle with 1 tsp coarse sea salt. Chop, finely, then sprinkle the thyme salt over one side of the scallops. Heat a griddle or large frying pan and add the olive oil.

Pan-fry the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness - they should feel slightly springy when pressed. Make sure you turn them in the same order you put them in the pan to ensure even cooking. Remove to a warm plate and rest for a minute while you reheat the vegetables.

Tip the peas and broad beans into the frying pan and add a splash of water and a little butter. Heat for a minute to warm through, season to taste and toss through the mint leaves.

Spoon the vegetables onto warm plates and top with the scallops. Sprinkle with a little more thyme salt if you wish. Drizzle a little more thyme salt if you wish. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil around each plate and serve immediately.