Recipe: Scallops, Asparagus and Parsnip

1- Peel the parsnips and dig a little bit on the side of the stalk and cut them in big pieces, put them into a pan, cover with salted water and cook at little boil during 20 minutes

2- In the meantime peel very lightly the asparagus, clean them, link them to make a bunch and cook them into boiling salted water during 6 minutes ; then pour them into chilled water, stain and put onto some absorbing paper. Cut the heads of the asparagus (2.5 inch long), keep them aside and cut the remaining part of the asparagus thinly. Cover all parts of the asparagus with cling film on a flat dish and keep in the fridge

3- Test the cooking of the parsnips with a knife, stain them and blend them together with the thinly cut parts of the asparagus to mash them. Sieve this greenish purée, pour it into a pan and dry it gently on the heat using a wood spatula ; add half of the olive oil and the garlic. Season with salt and black pepper and keep warm in a bain-marie

4- When ready for the meal :

Heat the roast beef or chicken juice in a small pan. Pour the remaining olive oil together with a nut of butter into a frying pan and fry pan the scallops 2 minutes on each side, then put them quickly onto a dish, keep the fat and put the asparagus heads into the frying pan during 30 seconds to concentrate the flavour of the scallops into the asparagus heads

Into the center of hot individual dishes, pour the greenish purée, top with the scallops, put the asparagus heads around like arrows and a few drops of the juice all around

You can prepare the asparagus and the purée in advance and at the last moment, heat them gently and pan the scallops