Seafood Feast

If you're cooking to impress but have very little time, here's a dinner that's bound to knock 'em dead. It's fancy enough to wow a date, but easy enough to whip together in half an hour. Seared scallops, crispy topped salmon and buttered samphire are an ensemble you'd expect to find in a fancy restaurant, but can be made easily by shopping at your local market on a shoestring.

This ensemble is healthy, delicious, and perfect for a dinner for two. In my case, it was a dinner for one, but I'm still saving this baby until a nice person comes along! 




So without any further ado, here's what you need to create this feast:

Seared Scallops

• Fresh scallops (3 per person)
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Butter

Crispy Topped Salmon (for one person)

• Fillet of salmon
• Handful of breadcrumbs
• Tablespoon of grated parmesan
• Dried chives
• Black pepper
• Knob of butter
• Olive oil

Buttered Samphire

• 100g samphire
• Knob of butter

First of all, prepare the salmon. Pre-heat the oven to 200°/gas mark 6 and grease a baking tray with some of the oil. Create your crust by mixing the chives, breadcrumbs, black pepper and parmesan together. Then, mix in the butter with your fingertips until it's all combined. Oil your salmon, then place the breadcrumb mix on top of the fillet. Bake in the oven for twenty minutes.

When the salmon has been cooking for ten minutes, prepare the samphire - this can steam while the scallops are searing. If you've never had samphire before, you're in for a treat. My Mum's family are from Norfolk, where samphire is widely found on the fens or at the coast. You can normally find this in large supermarkets, but I buy mine from the fishmongers at my local market.

To prepare, simply steam the samphire for five minutes and serve with a knob of butter on top. It's as simple as that!

While the samphire is steaming, prepare the scallops. Cut off the orange muscle on the side, then dab them dry with a sheet of kitchen roll. Pepper the scallops, then set aside. 

Heat the oil and butter in a large, flat pan. When it is bubbling, place the scallops into the pan. 

Sear on each side until the scallop is cooked through and each side is a crisp brown colour. 

By this time, your salmon should be fully cooked. Take it out of the oven and serve it along with the scallops and samphire. And there you have it, a wonderfully simple seafood feast! Serve with rice, mash or a salad.

Enjoy!