Faster Chef

Every week Jon Cuthill invites some of the South's best chefs to take the Faster Chef Challenge. Their task is to cook a meal live on the radio in under five minutes, and make it look, smell and taste delicious. You can also click on the link below to download other recipes from the series.

Poached Brown Egg, Local Asparagus and Scallop Salad, Lemon Dressing

Serves 4

Poached Egg & Scallop Salad

By Oscar Holgado from South Downs College

Serves 4

Salad

4 Burford Brown eggs
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
6 scallops
12 asparagus spears
Selection of mixed leaves, include watercress
Tablespoon sunflower oil

Oscar Holgado From South Downs College

Dressing

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
50 ml olive oil
50 ml sunflower oil

Method

Fill a saucepan with cold water deep enough to fully immerse the eggs, add a pinch of salt and the teaspoon of white wine vinegar, bring to the simmer.

Carefully snap the asparagus at the root end and discard. Peel the asparagus 1 cm below the point on a flat surface. Blanch in boiling, lightly salted water for 30 seconds, refresh in ice cold water, remove and wrap in a clean tea towel.

Pick and wash the mixed salad leaves, either spin dry or carefully roll in a clean tea towel. Cut the scallops in half against the grain and set to one side.

To make the dressing, simply combine the lemon juice with the vinegar and mustard then whisk in the oils and season.

Carefully place the eggs into the simmering water, the eggs will only take a couple of minutes to poach depending how you like them cooked!

Heat a frying pan, once hot add a little sunflower oil and roll the asparagus until warm, lightly season with sea salt and pepper and remove, add the scallops to the hot frying pan and season, turn once after approximately 30 seconds give the other side 30 seconds then remove, keep warm.

Place a few leaves in the centre of your plate and place the warm poached egg on top, then add three asparagus spears and three halves of scallops, sprinkle with a few extra lettuce leaves and drizzle with lemon dressing.

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