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Starter

Pan seared scallops with Pea Puree, Cheddar Crisps, Pancetta and Roasted Cherry Tomato Coulis

 Main Course

Roasted Lamb Cutlets with a Chilli Mint Sauce, Dauphinoise Potatoes, Fine Beans and Cauliflower Puree

 Dessert

Dark Chocolate Teardrop Mousse, Raspberry Coulis and Pistachio Dust

Pan seared scallops with Pea Puree, Pancetta, Cheddar Crisps and Roasted Cherry Tomato Coulis

 Ingredients

•  3 scallops (membranes and roe removed) 
• 50g cheddar cheese (finely grated) 
• 1-2 rashers pancetta 
• 100g peas 
• Handful cherry tomatoes 
• 2tbsp olive oil 
• Micro herbs to garnish

Method

1) Pre-heat oven to 180’c/gas mark 4.

2) Toss the cherry tomatoes with 1tbsp of oil and roast in the pre-heated oven until softened and beginning to burst. Once cooked, puree in a food processor and then pass through a chinoise. You should be left with a tomato coulis with quite a thin consistency.

3) Divide grated cheese into small neat circles on a baking tray lined with baking paper or a silicon mat. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes until melted and bubbling. Leave to cool and firm up and then carefully remove from tray and set aside.

4) To make the pea puree boil to peas until tender, drain and plunge into ice cold water to retain the bright colour. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Pass through a chinoise; season to taste and set aside.

5) Grill the pancetta until crispy and golden brown. Neatly slice into 4x2cm rectangles and keep warm.

6) Heat a non stick frying pan and add the remaining oil– make sure it’s really hot! Cook the scallops for 1-2 minutes on each side or until well browned.

7) To construct the dish place 3 cheddar crisps on a rectangular plate; pipe a little pea puree on top. Place the scallops on top and then the pancetta. Finish with a few micro herbs. Scatter the plate delicately with micro herbs and drizzle over the tomato coulis.

Roasted Lamb Cutlets with a Chilli Mint Sauce, Dauphinoise Potatoes, Fine Beans and Cauliflower Puree

 Ingredients

• 2 lamb cutlets 
• 1tbsp oil 
• Potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced) 
• Double cream 
• 50g Fine beans 

Cauliflower Puree: 

• Handful cauliflower florets 
• Equal quantities milk and water 
• Bay leaf 
• 30g butter 

Sauce: 

• 2 onions (diced) 
• 3 chillies (finely chopped) 
• 1tbsp oil 
• 150ml red wine 
• 500ml chicken stock (or lamb stock) 
• 2tbsp runny honey 
• 1tbsp sweet chilli sauce (ensure a glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. free variety) 
• Fresh mint (finely chopped)

Method

1) Pre-heat oven to 160’c/gas 3. Lightly grease an oven proof dish and layer the thinly sliced potatoes pouring a little double cream between each layer, finish with a top layer of cream. Bake in the oven for about an hour or until potatoes are soft and top is nicely browned.

2) Meanwhile begin the sauce by sweating off the onions and two of the chopped chilli’s in oil until soft but without colour. Add the red wine and reduce by 1/3. Add in the stock and leave to simmer until becomes syrupy in texture. At this stage strain the sauce to get rid of the onion. Sweat off the other chilli and then return the sauce to the pan. Add the honey, chilli sauce and season to taste. Set aside until needed.

3) Heat the oil in a frying pan and seal the lamb for a few minutes to achieve a good colour. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10-12 minutes or until cooked as desired. Remove from oven, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

4) To make the cauliflower puree put the cauliflower in a saucepan with half and half water and milk, just enough to cover along with a bay leaf. Bring to boil and cook until tender. Drain well and puree with 30g butter. Season and set aside.

5) Cook the fine beans in boiling water until tender.

6) Ensure all elements of the dish are hot. To construct the dish, cut a round of potatoes and plate; serve the lamb cutlets on a bed of fine beans drizzled with the sauce with the cauliflower puree on the side.

Dark Chocolate Teardrop Mousse, Raspberry Coulis and Pistachio Dust

 Ingredients

• 75g dark chocolate 
• 50g pistachio nuts (shelled and peeled) 

Coulis 

• 50g raspberries 
• Icing sugar to taste 

Mousse

•  250g dark chocolate 
• 100g icing sugar 
• 175g butter 
• 5 large eggs, separated 
• 150ml double cream 

Method 

1) First make the chocolate teardrop. Cut a piece of acetate to 30x5cm. Gently melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Carefully dip the acetate strip into the chocolate so that it is completely coated on one side. Shape into teardrops with the chocolate on the inside and place a paperclip on the end to secure. Place on a sheet of greaseproof paper and leave to set in the fridge.

2) *Meanwhile, to make the mousse, melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove from the heat and stir in half of the icing sugar, and then whisk in the butter. Whisk in the egg yolks one by one.

*Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks, add the remaining icing sugar and whisk until glossy.

*Whip the cream until stiff peaks

*Add 1/3 of the egg white to the chocolate mixture and gently combine. Fold in the rest of the egg whites alternating between the whipped cream. Do not over mix. Scatter some finely chopped pistachio’s at the base of the mousse, to help avoid it sticking to the paper. Pour the mousse into the set chocolate teardrop (there will be lots of mousse left over). Refrigerate until set.

3) For the raspberry puree; blend the raspberries with a hand blender or food processor until smooth. Pass through a sieve and sift in icing sugar to taste.

4) To make the pistachio dust, shell the pistachio’s and blitz in a food processor.

5) To plate the dessert; transfer the chocolate teardrop to a plate and carefully remove the acetate strip. Spoon on some raspberry coulis and scatter over some pistachio dust.

Conclusion

Eating out for coeliacs can be a risky and stressful experience at times, as I have learnt from my Mum who has had celiac disease for many years. I would love to think that in the future, as an industry we will progress to become more and more accommodating and aware of this now very common allergy.

When designing and creating my menu’s I have used all naturally gluten free ingredients. I believe that gluten free food doesn’t need to be boring food – it shouldn’t lack passion, flare or flavour – it should only lack gluten!