Scallops, bacon and malt vinegar

Ashley Palmer-Watts

Ashley Palmer-Watts

24th January 2025
Ashley Palmer-Watts

Scallops, bacon and malt vinegar

60 min

On the menu at The Devonshire in Soho

Ingredients

malt vinegar base

  • 60g aged malt vinegar
  • 10g sugar
  • 10g salt
  • 20g lemon juice

malt vinegar emulsion

  • 30g malt vinegar base
  • 85g salted butter (cut into cubes)

scallops, bacon and malt vinegar

  • 6 scallops
  • 6 half scallop shells
  • 18 unsmoked bacon lardons
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 recipe of malt vinegar emulsion
  • ground nut oil for frying

Method

malt vinegar base

Place the aged malt vinegar, sugar and salt into a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
Whisk until the sugar and salt have fully dissolved, then allow to cool.
Add the lemon juice and mix well.
Store the base in the fridge until required. (keep for 4 weeks in a sealed jar)

malt vinegar emulsion

Place the malt vinegar base into a small pan and heat to a simmer.
Reduce the heat down add butter, by whisking in 1-2 cubes at a time.
Once all the butter has been fully emulsified, remove from the heat and reserve.

scallops, bacon and malt vinegar

Clean the scallop shells and run through the dishwasher to clean.
Place a frying pan over medium to high heat, drizzle oil over the scallops and turn over to coat evenly, season with salt.
Carefully place into the hot pan and cook until the first side is golden in colour. Turn the scallops and add the bacon to the pan, cook on the second side whilst the bacon starts to colour.
Arrange 3 shells onto a plate and when the scallops are evenly cooked remove and place a scallop into each shell. Season with a little black pepper.
When the bacon has a light golden colour remove the pan from the heat and pour in the malt malt vinegar butter. Add the chopped parsley and gently warm through.
Place 3 bacon lardons around each scallop and a generous spoon of the malt vinegar butter over the scallops and serve.

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