The wild garlic in the aioli can be substituted with a number of other ingredients such as lemon, lime or dill. I would not use normal garlic or other pungent flavours in order not to overpower the scallops.
Serves 2 as starter
Ingredients
- 5 scallops, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, stoned, peeled and cut in small dice
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- ¼ chilli, finely chopped
- A handful of edamame beans
- A few coriander leaves
- 20ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 2 small radishes
- A few salad leaves
For the wild garlic aioli
- 150ml wild garlic oil*
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ tsp English mustard
- 1-2 tbsp white wine vinegar
For the wild garlic
- 200g wild garlic leaves
- 200ml extra virgin olive oil
Method
Start by making the wild garlic aioli. First make the wild garlic oil.
Wash the leaves and drop in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain the wild garlic and drop in ice cold water for a couple of minutes. Drain well and squeeze all the water out with the help of a clean tea towel.
Chop the garlic leaves roughly and place in a bowl. Add the olive oil and a pinch of salt and blitz with an electric stick blender. Strain the oil through a muslin into a clean bowl and transfer to a squeezy bottle. The oil will keep in the fridge for a few days but it also freezes in an ice cube container.
To make the garlic aioli, place an egg yolk in a bowl. Add the mustard and vinegar and whisk. Start adding the wild garlic oil a drop at a time to start with and only increase the quantity once the mixture starts thickening. When the oil has been used up and you have a mayonnaise consistency, taste and season with more salt if needed. Transfer to a squeezy bottle and keep in the fridge
In a small bowl, gradually whisk the olive oil into the lemon juice to make an emulsion.
Wash and pat dry the scallops. remove the membrane that surrounds them and the roe. Slice them thinly and put in a bowl. Add one or two tbsp of the lemon and oil emulsion, half the lemon zest and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
In another bowl, mix the chopped avocado with the chilli, the shallot and a couple of tbsp of the lemon and oil emulsion. Season.
Add the remaining oil and lemon to the salad leaves, edamame beans and radishes and season them.
To serve, place a ring in the middle of each plate. Divide the avocado mixture between the two and while the ring is still in place, arrange the scallop slices all over overlapping slightly. Scatter the salad leaves and edamame beans all around and add dots of the wild garlic aioli.