Seared scallops with pappa al pomodoro

1 Put the olive oil in a pan with the onion and garlic and cook over a low heat, covered, for 15 minutes until the onions completely soften but without taking on any colour.

2 Add the tomatoes, stock cube, orange zest, sugar, chilli and basil stalks. Slowly reduce by half then remove the basil stalks.

3 Tear the bread into the tomatoes and mix through until it breaks up and amalgamates. Season and allow this to cool.

4 For the basil oil, simply blend the basil leaves with the olive oil and chill it.

5 To cook the scallops, add a little olive oil to a non-stick pan and let it gently smoke.

6 Cook the scallops for a minute on each side until they caramelise lightly. Larger ones will take a little longer but do not overcook. Drain them on kitchen paper when done.

7 To serve, divide the pappa al pomodoro on to bowls or plates. If you manage to get scallop shells, that’s even better.

8 Allow three scallops per person, or more if they are small. Set the scallops on top and drizzle the basil oil around. Serve immediately.