Tom Anglesea Recipe and Wine Pairing: Roasted Scallop Starter

We all know fine wine and good food go hand-in-hand. Which is why a collaboration with Great British Chefs to produce restaurant quality wine and recipe matches felt like such a natural fit for us.

Top London-based chef Tom Anglesea has been making his mark on East London’s bustling food scene since becoming head chef at The Laughing Heart in 2016. Drawing inspiration from Asian and European cuisine, Tom is known for creating great British dishes with the finest seasonal ingredients and unexpected flavour combinations.

With The Laughing Heart also being one of Hoxton’s trendiest wine bars, we knew Tom would know a thing or two about wine and be the ideal partner for this project. From the wines we sent him, Tom took a liking to one of our Black Flag Chardonnays, which inspired him to create a sensational seafood starter that would complement it perfectly.

A beautiful shellfish dish is a work of art. It’s about allowing the delicate flavours of the seafood to shine through by carefully choosing ingredients that won’t overpower it. Tom’s succulent scallop creation is absolutely divine, using simple yet impactful ingredients that are designed to showcase the seafood and work in harmony with an elegant Aussie Chardonnay.

Ingredients:

4 large scallops, shucked and cleaned
500ml of buttermilk
200g of unsalted butter, cold and diced, plus a little extra for cooking the scallops
1 bunch of sea herbs, mixed
A pinch of sea salt

Method:

1. Pour the buttermilk into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Continue to cook until the solids separate from the whey, then pass through a fine sieve or muslin cloth into a separate clean saucepan. Heat the whey until it has reduced to 100ml.
2. Meanwhile, bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Pick the sea herbs and give them a good wash. Blanch the herbs in the boiling water for five seconds, then drain and immediately plunge into iced water. Drain and set aside.
3. Once the whey has reduced to 100ml, slowly whisk in the diced butter until you have a thick, buttery emulsion. Season with salt and keep warm.
4. For the scallops, place a frying pan over a high heat. Fry the scallops for two minutes each side, adding a small knob of butter and basting them continuously as they cook. Once cooked, season and leave to rest for one minute.
5. To serve, place the blanched sea herbs in the butter emulsion and gently warm through. Spoon the emulsion and herbs into four bowls, then slice each scallop in half and place on top.

Tom’s scallop starter was inspired by, and tailor-made to match, the Black Flag Winemakers Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. Crafted especially for VW in sunny South Australia, this is a sublime, fruit forward white with delightful notes of lemon, lime, peach, pineapple and mango.

When it comes to pairing wine with shellfish, it’s good to choose a medium to full-bodied white with adequate acidity that won’t be overwhelmed by sauces or side dishes. And this first-class Chardonnay has got all that in spades, plus a grace and poise of fruit that can be hard to find in wines made from this grape variety.

If you fancy recreating this wonderful dish and wine pairing at home, be sure to let us know about it on social and for a chance to appear on our customer wall!

For more on our collaboration with Great British Chefs, head over to their blog for a food lover’s take on our versatile Black Flag range.