Seared scallops with creamed leeks and balsamic reduction

This is a great dish to serve as a starter at a dinner party. It is very simple to make and very easy to serve. The creamy taste of the leeks works beautifully with the scallops and the sweetness of the balsamic pulls the whole dish together.

Scallops may be expensive but they are worth a treat for a special occasion.

Ingredients;

For the leeks;

4 leeks cut into long batons

1tblsp of clarified butter

50ml white wine

200ml double cream

50g grated parmesan

Seasoning

For the scallops;

1kg scallops trimmed of there coral

Olive oil

Seasoning

For the balsamic reduction;

100ml aged balsamic

3tblsp port

2tsp sugar

Method;

For the leeks; melt the butter in a large pan. Add the leeks and cook over medium heat until the leeks are just starting to soften. Turn up the heat under the pan and add the wine, reduce by half. Add the cream and bring to the boil, turn the pan to a simmer and cook until the leeks are well coated in a light sauce, about 5-7mins. Remove the pan from the heat and add the parmesan and season to taste.

For the Balsamic reduction; Place the balsamic, port and sugar into a small pot and bring to the boil reduce to a simmer and simmer until a light, thin syrup is achieved, remove from the heat and cool.

For the scallops; Heat a frying pan over high heat and add some olive oil. Make sure the scallops are very dry, season well and carefully sit the scallops in the pan. Keep the heat quite high so as the scallops sear, taking on a slight burnt tinge around the edges. Cook for 1min then add a knob of butter. Cook for a further minute and turn and cook for a further   1-2mins depending on the size. For best results keep the scallops slightly rare in the centre.

To serve place a spoonful of leeks into the centre of each serving plate, arrange the scallops around the leeks and drizzle with balsamic reduction.