Scallops with wild garlic and pasta

Organic Boxes

We are now into the 4th week of lockdown due to COVID-19 and we are very fortunate that we have had an organic box delivery for over 20 years. Initially, we used to collect our box from a local distribution point, then moved to Riverford, last year I set up an Abel & Cole organic box delivery as an alternative.

One weakness of many food delivery companies is that you can't have more than one address attached to your account, therefore I set up one account for my elderly parents with Riverford and another to be delivered to my workplace.

When there started to be an issue getting produce, just before lockdown, I tried to move my Riverford delivery from my work address back to my home address, but it could not be changed due to capacity issues.  I was able to organise a weekly Riverford delivery of veg, meat and milk to my parents. Fortunately, I was quick enough using Abel and Cole to set up a regular weekly delivery and the bonus is that I can still add to the order if I need to and they have a wider variety of produce available. I don't know what will arrive in my veg and fruit box though, therefore every week is a mystery.

During lockdown, it's easy to get into a food rut, so it's important to experiment with new recipes to keep the palate fresh.

What to cook for lunch?

I still had some wild garlic in my fridge and some fresh scallops from my delivery this week. What to cook? After some research at other recipes, I created the following recipe.

Ingredients (serves 2)

Linguini pasta
1 shallot finely chopped
50 g butter
2 tbsps olive oil
1 handful of chopped wild garlic
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
125ml white wine or vermouth
grated zest lemon
6 scallops
salt and pepper

Method

Put the pasta into cook, make sure you salt the water.

In a medium saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 25 g butter over a medium heat and add shallots, cook gently until soft. Add the chilli flakes, garlic and wild garlic and fry gently for 2 mins, add the white wine or vermouth and gently cook until reduced by half, season.

In a frying pan heat the 1 tbsp olive oil over a medium heat.. Wash and pat dry the scallops, season with salt and pepper. Fry scallops - don't move them around, wait 2 minutes until golden brown. Turn scallops onto other side and continue frying. Add the butter to the pan, and spoon the butter over the scallops.

When pasta is cooked, drain and add to the medium saucepan, toss with the garlic & shallot mixture. Add some freshly grated lemon rind and toss. Serve in a pasta bowl with more grated lemon rind and serve the scallops on the top.

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Isolation popcorn (butterscotch) - caramel popcorn recipe

Isolation popcorn - perfect for those movie afternoons.

There's nothing like the smell of hot popcorn, it's so quick and easy to make and great if you are going to sit down to watch a film or stream a live show.

It's the snacks that people will be missing during the Covid-19 outbreak, so this a perfect treat and only needs minimal ingredients. I add a large pinch of Maldon sea salt to the butterscotch as I'm making it, then you get a lovely salted caramel flavour.

If you love the popcorn that comes in bags, with a caramel/butterscotch crispness, then you will love this easy recipe.

Ingredients

For the popcorn:

1 heaped tbsp popping corn

1 tbsp cooking oil

For the butterscotch:

25g butter

25g golden granulated sugar

1 heaped tbsp golden syrup

Method

First pop the corn. If you have an electronic popper then use that (it dry pops the corn so no oil and very healthy).

Stove top method:

You need a large deep heavy-based pan with a lid to pop the corn.

Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat, add the popping corn stir, then cover with the lid. 

Gently shake the pan and you will soon hear popping start, keep gently shaking whilst holding the lid on the pan (you don't want popcorn snow in your kitchen), until the popping slows down. 

Don't leave too long, or the popcorn could burn. 

Take off the heat and remove the lid after 10 seconds (you hopefully won't have any more pops. 

Pour into a large mixing bowl. 

Check through the popcorn and remove any unpopped kernels.

Take a medium pan, add the butter, sugar and golden syrup and start to heat over medium heat. You can stir with a wooden spoon. It will get very hot, so be careful if you have young children around, this part is best done without them around. It will bubble and foam, keep cooking until it starts to turn colour, you need to keep stirring and watching it carefully at this stage, it will colour very quickly. 

When it has turned a lovely butterscotch colour, turn off the heat and drizzle over the popcorn in the mixing bowl. 

Use 2 wooden spoons, or serving spoons to toss the popcorn with the butterscotch. It will get very sticky and you may start to see spun sugar threads. Keep tossing the popcorn, so it doesn't stick into one huge mass.

As soon as cool enough to handle, you can start to break up the pieces.

If you want to make salted caramel, add a large pinch of flaked sea salt crystals to the butterscotch whilst you are making it.

Sit back and enjoy your film.

If you have any other flavours that you make, I'd love to hear your ideas.

I have discovered an amazing gluten-free popcorn available to pop at home on Amazon. It produces mushroom-style kernels like a well-known brand you can purchase in bags covered in butterscotch😉

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