Grilled scallops with Peter Gordon's Famous Sweet Chilli Sauce and creme fraiche

You can serve these in Chinese style soup-spoons as a canape, just one scallop per portion, although they're also delicious as a starter - a handful of watercress or rocket leaves with six to eight scallops scattered on top, topped with the sauce and dolloped with creme fraiche.

Ingredients

16	Scallops, out of the shell, cleaned, keep the coral on (Main)
3 Tbsp	Creme fraiche
1 to garnish	Baby cress

Famous Sweet Chilli Sauce

½	Beetroot, large, peeled and cut into cubes
10 cm	Fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
5 cm	Galangal, peeled and thinly sliced
8 cloves	Garlic cloves
2	Red chillies, thinly sliced (more or less to taste)
10	Kaffir lime leaves, remove the central thick fibre
4	Lemongrass, removed the outer leaves and slice the stalk, avoiding any over fibrous pieces
1 handful	Fresh coriander, shredded, include the stem and roots for extra flavour
¼ cup	Cider vinegar
1 cup	Caster sugar
¼ cup	Cider vinegar
¼ cup	Fish sauce, use Nam Pla if you can (Thai fish sauce)

Directions

1. Lightly season the scallops and toss with a few teaspoons vegetable oil - avocado oil works well.
2. Heat a heavy based pan (or the barbecue) till very hot, slide the scallops in and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Carefully flip over and cook a further 20 seconds. Take off the heat, place in the spoons and drizzle on the (2-3 tbsp) of the famous sauce and creme fraiche, then garnish with the cress.

Famous Sweet Chilli SauceI first created this lovely thick sauce at The Sugar Club in London in 1995 and have been making it ever since. You can buy it from my range at Sabato, but here's a very simplified recipe - this will make about two cups worth.

1. Place everything from the beetroot to the coriander in a food processor and blitz to a reasonably fine paste.
2. Bring the sugar and a few tablespoons water to the boil, stir to dissolve the sugar, then cook over medium heat to caramelise the sugar to a deep golden brown.
3. Carefully add the paste, making sure you don't burn yourself if it splatters, and stir in until it begins to bubble.
4. Cook 30 seconds, then add the vinegar and fish sauce and boil again. Turn to a rapid simmer and cook 2 minutes, then take off the heat and pour into a clean heat-proof jar or bowl.