Scallops with black pudding in a creamy garlic and white wine reduction

The simple but classic pairing of scallops with black pudding is jazzed up here with a garlic cream and white wine reduction.

It's treat night tonight, our monthly take away substitute.  Himself is a huge lover of seafood and scallops are one of his favourite things.

Serves 2 as a starter

Ingredients:

6 scallops  (keep the roe if you like it, we do)

6 bread rounds - rounds of white bread cut from sliced white per person

6 slices of best black pudding (I bought ready cut slices)

100ml double cream or creme fraiche 

Half a glass of dry Vermouth or white wine

1 clove of garlic, crushed

S&P

Sunflower, groundnut or vegetable oil for frying

1tsp salted butter

2tsp of finely chopped chives
Optional:  Smoked bacon rashers

Method:

First prepare your scallops by washing them and detaching the roe if not using.  Cut rounds (use a glass template or cookie cutter) from sliced white bread, one round per scallop.  Now cut some nice thick slices of black pudding to about 2cm thick.  

Fry the black pudding in a frying pan until crispy on both sides and put into an oven warmed to 150C to keep warm whilst you prepare the rest of the dish.  If using bacon fry this to crisp and put into the oven with the black pudding.  I also fried some sage leaves to flavour the oil for the fried bread.

To prepare the sauce cook the garlic in a teaspoon of foaming butter for 3 minutes, then pour over the wine or vermouth and reduce over a medium heat until it's about half the original volume.  Add the creme fraiche a tablespoon at a time until at a consistency you like, add the chopped chives and S&P to taste and leave over a low heat whilst you fry the bread rounds in oil until crisp and golden.   Lastly, oil the scallops on both sides and fry in another pan, ideally a griddle pan, warmed to smoking hot, fry for 1 or 2 minutes each side until seared then serve immediately.

To serve place the black pudding onto a plate with fried bread on top of each round and a scallop on top of that (I sandwiched a rasher of smoked bacon between the scallop and fried bread), pour the sauce over and serve immediately with a green salad and lemon wedge.