Seared scallops on caramelised fennel. Black garlic drizzle.

Caramelised onions are great. Caramelised fennel is even better – the anise flavour coming through amongst that delicious sweetness. A black garlic and balsamic sauce tops the scallop, bringing some balancing sour and umami notes to that sweetness.

Fennel seems to be somewhat undervalued as a vegetable. It is great in stocks, in a salad (see this watermelon and fennel salad), seared on a bbq, and here, slowly caramelised. And of course, it is very healthy.

I used the black garlic drizzle in this arancini recipe. It worked great there, but works even better here as it does an excellent job of balancing the sweetness of the caramelised fennel and the scallop. Black garlic is easy to get in Saigon, even in mainstream supermarkets. If you cannot locate any though, instead use slow roasted garlic. It’s a little different, but very delicious nonetheless.

And then there is the scallop, certainly one of my favourite seafoods. I seldom buy frozen seafood, as there is such an abundance of fresh seafood in Vietnam. For scallops, I make an exception. Although not cheap, good frozen scallops are can be as good as the fresh ones. And the large Japanese scallops I used here are truly divine.

Seared scallops on caramelised fennel. Black garlic drizzle.

Servings: 4 people

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Ingredients

Scallops and caramelized fennel

• 4 large scallops
• 2 large heads fennel
• 10 g butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Pinch of salt and pepper
• Juice of half a lemon

Black Garlic Drizzle

• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 Tbsp liquid honey
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 cloves black garlic large, to make a 3/4 Tbsp when mashed
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Scallops and caramelized fennel

• Cut the top and bottom from the fennel. Cut in half to expose the hard core. Remove the core.
• Dice the fennel into 2-3mm slices.
• Heat a large skillet over a medium heat and add 10g butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil.
• Add the fennel and cook until golden brown. Will take about 20 – 25 minutes.
• Add the salt and pepper, squeeze over the lemon juice, toss, then remove from the pan.
• Wipe the pan with a paper towel, bring the heat to high, then add the other Tbsp oil.
• When the pan is smoking, add the scallops. Cook 2 minutes each side, then remove and drain on paper towels.

Black Garlic Drizzle

• Combine all ingredients, except oil into a mini food processor or bowl.
• Slowly drizzle in the oil while processing/whisking, until thickened.

Plating

• Spoon some caramelized fennel on to a small plate, top with a scallop, then drizzle with the black garlic drizzle.