This week’s recipe has been prepared by Ian McNaught, head chef of the Roman Camp Country House & Restaurant in Callander, in the heart of the Trossachs National Park. This traditional retreat on the banks of the River Teith is ideal for a romantic getaway and a fabulous wedding venue too.
The restaurant itself has been recommended by the AA as one of the top 20 eateries in Scotland and has been awarded the Three AA Rosette Award for their restaurant dining. The menus at the restaurant are prepared from locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and guests can choose from a host of different menus including a la carte, five course tasting, afternoon tea or vegetarian menus.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Fig & Mango Chutney
50g Butter
2 x Shallots Diced
10 x Dried Figs
50ml Apple Juice
15ml Balsamic Vinegar
15ml Sherry Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Clove Crushed Garlic
50g Raisins
60g Caster Sugar
Sauce Sauternes
2 x Shallots finely sliced
4 x Button Mushrooms, finely sliced
50g Unsalted Butter
150ml Sauternes
100 ml Chicken Stock
100ml Scallop Stock
150 ml Double Cream
To Serve
6 x XL Diver-Caught Scallops
4 x 50g Escalopes of Foie Gras
6 x Baby Beetroot Cooked and Peeled
12 x Baby Leeks, Blanched
1 x Courgette Finely diced
200g Small rocket leaves
50g Butter
5 x Tablespoon Chicken Stock
For the Chutney
Melt the butter in a pan, add in the diced shallot and cook for 2 minutes without colour. Into this pan, combine all the other ingredients except the sugar and cook slowly until all the moisture has gone. Transfer mix to a robot coupe or a similar food processor, put in the sugar and puree. Check mixture is properly seasoned and set aside.
For the Sauce Sauternes
Sweat shallots and mushrooms in 50g butter until softened without colour. Add sauternes (a French sweet wine), bring to the boil and reduce by half. Add chicken stock to the mixture, bring to the boil and reduce by half again. Add scallop stock, bring to the boil and reduce by half for a final time. Pour double cream into the mixture, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Season and pass through a sieve into a clean pan.
To Serve
Cut the baby beetroot in half and season to taste. Warm this up in a knob of butter with 1 tablespoon chicken stock. Cut the baby leeks into 4, season; warm up in a knob of butter and with 2 tablespoons of chicken stock. In a pan, melt another knob of butter and add in 2 tablespoon chicken stock. Put the diced courgette and rocket leaves into this pot, cook and season. Heat up 2 non-stick pans. Cut the Scallops in half, season and cook for about 30 seconds each side, depending on the thickness.
Season and cook the Foie Gras on both sides, keeping it nice and pink in the middle. Gently warm the sauternes sauce and the fig and mango chutney.
Serving Suggestion
On 4 heated plates, place 3 scallops overlapping on one side and criss-cross 6 pieces of baby leek down the centre of the plate. Place the rocket and courgette diced and baby beetroot by the other side of the leeks, top with the Foie Gras and a quenelle of chutney, pour sauce around this and serve.
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