scallops and black pudding salad

it’s been a hot and sticky day in london and i’ve loved it. we’re having a really wonderful summer and the sunshine is a real treat after recent years of “meh” weather.

salads are obviously the only thing to be eating but, given david is away, i decided to indulge my love of scallops, which he doesn’t share.

years ago i used to fry chorizo, add the scallops, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and tip this over a pile of salad leaves. for some reason i haven’t done this for ages so i decided today was the day. sadly my freezer was bereft of chorizo but thankfully it had black pudding i could use instead.

i did toy, for a minute, of making the ubiquitous scallops, black pudding and pea puree combination but i couldn’t be bothered so, i bastardised my old favourite. melted butter in which i cooked, over a high heat, the slices of black pudding until they were just crispy on each side. these were kept warm while i cooked the scallops in the buttery black pudding juices – 2 minutes on the first side, a minute on the second. a squeeze of lemon juice, and a few leaves to make the slightest effort towards my 5-a-day, and i was done.

super-delish, 10 minutes to prepare and cook, and a prefect supper for a warm hot summer’s eve.