Salade des Gourmets

Serves: to serve 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 5 Minutes

Ready In: 20 mins

Ingredients

  - a mixture of tender salad leaves

2 slices - foie gras

2 large slices - smoked salmon

2 large slices - smoked ham (Parma, Bayonne, Smithfield)

8 slices - magret de canard

12 - small cherry tomatoes

12 - white (seedless) grapes

1 tablespoon - butter

16 - fresh scallops

16 - cooked prawns

a few - pine nuts

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE

3 tablespoons - sunflower oil

2 teaspoons - Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons - raspberry vinegar

  - salt and pepper

2 teaspoons - honey

Directions

  1. Wash and dry the salad leaves and break them into small pieces about 1" - 1½" (2.5cm - 4cm) across. Spread these on four large plates so that the plates are covered in a single layer of leaves.
  2. Cut the foie gras, smoked salmon, smoked ham and magret de canard (if you can get it) into pieces about 1" - 1½" (2.5cm - 4cm) across. Distribute these on the plates, on and between the salad leaves. Cut the cherry tomatoes and grapes in two and similarly distribute them on the plates.
  3. Salade des GourmetsPrepare the vinaigrette... Mix the oil and mustard in a bowl, add the raspberry vinegar (you can use balsamic if you can't get raspberry) along with a shake of salt and a few twists of freshly ground pepper. Mix well and then add the honey.
  4. Pat the scallops dry and cut off the small side muscle, if present (normally it's removed by the fishmonger). Don't confuse this side muscle with the pink coral. The coral should be retained. This recipe is suitable for (1" - 1½") sea scallops rather than the small (½") bay scallops (queenies).
  5. Melt the butter in a frying pan (skillet). Add the scallops to the pan and cook for 1 - 1½ minutes on each side over a medium-high heat. Remove the scallops and add the prawns to the pan; cook for about 1 minute, turning frequently (this is just intended to warm them).
  6. Give the vinaigrette a final stir and drizzle over the salads. Distribute the warm scallops and prawns on the plates and serve with a good white wine (Beaumes de Venise or other quality Muscat).