Main: Diver scallops in mushroom and Irish whisky cream sauce (Vicky Newman)

Published: Thursday, 16 August 2007, 2:26PM

INGREDIENTS

• 16-20 fat, live diver caught scallops
• 1 spanish onion
• Butter and olive oil
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 glass white wine
• 1 x punnet chestnut mushrooms
• 1 shot Irish whiskey
• 250 ml double cream
• 8 rashers of black bacon or other quality dry cured bacon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Bunch Flat leaf parsley

FOR THE CHAMP:

• 6 big floury potatoes
• 6 scallions/spring onions
• 200 mls creamy milk
• 250 mls double cream
• Knob of Butter
• Salt and pepper

TO SERVE

Steamed broccoli

METHOD

1. Finely the chop the onion and cook gently for 25-30 minutes in oil and butter without colour.
2. Increase the heat and add the mustard and stock cube to the onions and cook for a minute.
3. Add the white wine and cook off the alcohol.
4. In a separate pan, sauté the mushrooms in olive oil until caramelised.
5. Add a shot of whiskey and cook off the alcohol. Add the mushrooms to the pan with the onions. 
6. Add the cream to the onions and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Reduce to lowest heat and leave for up to an hour.
8. For the champ, peel and quarter the potatoes and for boil 15 minutes.
9. Drain the potatoes and pass through ricer.
10. Finely chop the scallions/spring onions.
11. Heat 100 ml of milk and some double cream with the scallions. Don’t boil.
12. Add the onion/milk and butter to the potato. Add the scallions and season.
13. Place the live scallops on the griddle on at a time. When open, release the meat.
14. Clean the scallops and remove the coral and cut each scallop in half across the grain.
15. Wash the scallop meat and the corals and pat them dry.
16. Steam the broccoli for 5 minutes and fry the bacon in a frying pan.
17. Remove the bacon from the pan. Sear the scallops in the bacon pan for about 30 seconds.
18. Pour over the sauce, reduce the heat and cook for another couple of minutes.
19. Finely chop the parsley.
20. Season the sauce and add the parsley.
21. Place the champ on a plate and spoon over the creamy scallops and mushrooms, top with a rasher of bacon and serve with broccoli.