Scallops with a butter, soy and wasabi sauce

Tamara West

Ingredients

8	Scallops, per person, at room temperature (Main)
4 slices	Pancetta
1 cup	Fish stock
1 tsp	Light soy sauce
100 g	Unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
¼ tsp	Wasabi paste
1 handful	Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
8	Mint leaves, fresh, torn or shredded
1 to serve	Vegetables, fresh green
1 to serve	New potatoes

Directions

1. Pan-fry the pancetta until crisp.
2. Remove from the frying pan and drain on kitchen paper.
3. When cold, break into pieces. Tip excess fat from the frying pan, leaving about 1 Tbsp.
4. Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper, add to the hot frying pan (cooking in batches so not to overcrowd the pan),
5. Pan-fry until golden brown on both sides (if you cut 1 open it should just be hot in the middle), no longer than 1 minute all up. Scallops are at their best slightly undercooked.
6. Transfer the scallops to a shallow-warm bowl or plate as you go, and cover with foil.
7. Increase the heat and add the fish stock. Allow the stock to reduce by half.
8. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter, just a few cubes at a time to make a smooth sauce.
9. Mix together the soy and wasabi paste and whisk into the sauce. Stir through the tomatoes.
10. Pour sauce over the scallops and sprinkle with the reserved pancetta and mint.
11. Serve with steamed green vegetables or wilted spinach.
12. Boiled new potatoes are good too.