Raw and cooked scallops, cured pork, seeds, shoots and nuts

Ingredients

200g/7¼oz belly pork, rind and bones removed
50g/1¾oz demerara sugar
50g/1¾oz sea salt
2 litres/3½ pints groundnut oil
2 vanilla pods, seeds only
2 juniper berries, crushed
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 stick cinnamon
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods
1 sprig fresh lemon thyme
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
For the scallops
4 large diver-caught scallops
dash groundnut oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
10ml/½fl oz yuzu juice (Japanese citrus juice, available from specialist Japanese stores, if unavailable, substitute with fresh lime juice)
1 lime, juice only
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp soy sauce
For the sherry syrup
100ml/3½fl oz Pedro Ximinez sherry
For the nuts and seeds
1 tsp pine nuts, toasted
1 tsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 tsp sunflower seeds, toasted
1 tsp unsalted peanuts, toasted
20g/¾oz bean sprouts, trimmed
To serve
6 very thin slices of pata negra chorizo, at room temperature (substitute high-quality cured chorizo if unavailable)
6 slices of Jabugo ham, at room temperature
small handful fresh basil shoots, trimmed
small handful fresh coriander shoots, trimmed
1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
1 tbsp unsalted peanuts, grated, to garnish

Method

1. For the pork, place the pork belly into a large ceramic dish, rub the flesh side with sugar and sea salt and place covered in the fridge. Leave to cure for 18-24 hours. Drain off the liquid, rinse under cold running water and pat dry.
2. Pour the groundnut oil into a large pan, place over a medium heat and heat up to 70C/150F. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Add the vanilla, juniper berries, coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for two hours to perfume the oil. Add the thyme, garlic and rinsed belly pork and cook slowly for 6-8 hours at 70C/150F.
3. When the pork belly is cooked, remove it from the oil using large tongs, place on a sheet of silicon paper on a chopping board. Place another sheet of silicon paper on top and cover with another chopping board. Place a heavy weight on top and leave for a minimum of eight hours in the fridge to compress the pork. Reserve the oil for cooking with later.
4. Slice the chilled belly pork into neat oblong, finger-width pieces. Heat a non-stick frying pan, add two tablespoons of the reserved oil, add the pork slices and fry on all sides until golden-brown.
5. For the scallops, wash and pat dry the scallops and leave covered in the fridge for at least one hour. Heat a non-stick frying pan until smoking hot and add the groundnut oil. Season two scallops with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sear for one minute on each side. Remove from the heat and set aside in a bowl.
6. Thinly slice the remaining scallops on a mandoline and set aside in another bowl.
7. For the dressing, whisk together the yuzu juice, lime juice, sesame oil and soy sauce in a small bowl. Pour two tablespoons of the dressing over the thinly sliced raw scallops and leave to marinate for one minute. Pour two tablespoons of the dressing over the cooked scallops.
8. For the sherry syrup, pour the sherry into a small pan, cook over a medium heat until it has reduced to a syrup consistency. Remove from the heat and keep at room temperature.
9. For the nuts and seeds, mix the seeds with the bean sprouts and the rest of the dressing in a bowl and set aside.
10. To serve, place the pork in the centre of a serving platter, add the roast scallop, drape the chorizo and ham over and around the warm scallop and belly of pork.
11. Lay the marinated raw scallops on the plate. Sprinkle with the nuts and seeds, add the small basil and coriander shoots and scatter the thin apple strips over the pork. Finish with drops of the sherry syrup and grated peanuts.