If you reduce the portion size, this makes a great dinner party starter, or even serve on Chinese porcelain spoons as a canapé. As a main course, I recommend you serve this with some wilted spinach on the side.
504 CALORIES | 16G FAT | 3G SATURATES | 26G CARBS | 11G SUGAR | 1G SALT | 56G PROTEIN | 10G FIBRE
SERVES 4
1 whole garlic bulb, sliced in half
4–6 tablespoons olive oil
4–6 large parsnips, peeled and quartered
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
900g scallops (find the largest you can)
a handful of fresh chives
1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7.
2. Place the garlic bulb halves in a small ovenproof dish and drizzle with olive oil, then wrap in foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool, then squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skin.
3. Bring a pan of water to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook the parsnips for 18–20 minutes or until soft. Drain, then place in a food processor with the olive oil and roasted garlic flesh. Blend until smooth, then season to taste.
4. Heat a little oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat and sear the scallops on each side until they have browned (about 2 minutes each side, depending on size).
5. Spoon the purée onto each plate. Arrange a few scallops on top and garnish with a scatter of fresh chives.
TIP
Eat lots of scallops for a healthy heart. They’re full of vitamin B12 (which keeps homocysteine low and therefore protects against heart attacks and strokes) and magnesium (relaxes blood vessels, thus improving blood flow) and potassium (also keeping blood pressure low).
