Winning recipe (because the old one has disappeared from my blog, someone ate it!!)

Thank you lovefood.com, I am thrilled that I won your competition with this recipe.

Firstly buy some great quality (in fact lets just assume everything you are going to buy is great quality as it saves my typing) raw King Scallops and large raw prawns. De vein the prawns unless you want to eat their poo and decide if you want to keep the corals on the scallops, personally I like them but it doesn’t really matter as it is you that is eating them and this blog assumes that you are able to do what you prefer to your taste. I am cool like that, I believe in autonomy and self empowerment which may seem a lot if you are looking at a recipe but makes a heck of a difference in my other job working with people with learning disabilities.

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Next chop some chorizo (you could use pancetta if you rather or you could go wild and use both, try putting the pancetta in the colcannon, info to come) and gently fry until you see the crummy orange fat rendering out.

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While that is slowly going on you have done one of two things, you have nipped up to M&S and bought a tub of their colcannon mash or you have peeled the potatoes, boiled or steamed them (really, how many people steam their potatoes for mash when you can just leave them to steam after boiling). Now you get to use the fantastic ricer. This ensures that never again will you have lumpy mash. Never again will you decide to do ‘crushed new potatoes’ because you can’t be bothered with the whole mashing thing. Ricers are wonderful things, get one (if you want to, don’t forget this is about empowerment not bossiness). In another pan (sorry about all the pans but you could actually use the potato one if you are THAT lazy) gently fry the lardons of pancetta or smoked streaky bacon until they are lightly brown and the fat is cooking the finely sliced shallots that you are also cooking. At the last minute chuck in some finely sliced cabbage – you will of course have been using your mandoline to do this – USE THE GUARD – WATCH YOUR FINGERS – TAKE THIS FROM PAINFUL EXPERIENCE. Cook for a minute or two and then mix the bacon/pancetta with the onions and cabbage and riced potatoes. Stir in a spoonful of wasabi (or horseradish) to taste. Put somewhere to keep warm for a minute.

You will already have made the salad. In my head it has to have beetroot as one of its constituents but that is maybe because of me and not at all because of logic or taste. I also put in things of different colours and crunch. Again use your mandoline. Peppers of all colours, cucumber, different coloured tomatoes, spring onions, carrots, basically anything you have in the fridge at that moment in time. You should end up with a chopped mound of loveliness, in colour, taste and crunch.

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Now is the time to throw your raw scallops and prawns into the orange spicy chorizo fat, this bit takes moments. The prawns go a satisfying pink, the scallops need to sear but NOT overcook or you may as well have chucked in some rubbers (erasers for my American readers, this is NOT that sort of blog).

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You just have time to lock the front door and turn the hall light off and turn the phone off before the whole lot is assembled. When it comes to presentation God decided i had already had too much of a good thing so he removed my presentation gene. You present, I chuck on a plate, pour on any juices and home made salad dressing and tuck in. Oh yes!!

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Finally a photo of my daughter because it made me laugh but has nothing to do with this recipe at all.

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4 comments on “Winning recipe (because the old one has disappeared from my blog, someone ate it!!)

  1. hahahah. Not sure about the last picture but that blog was a real joy to read and I will DEFINITELY be trying that recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.

  2. hahahah. Not sure about the last picture but that blog was a real joy to read and I will DEFINITELY be trying that recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.

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