Serves 8

Scallops and caviar – it doesn’t get any more luxurious than this. If you’re not feeling brave enough to eat raw scallops, then by all means pan-fry them first. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the scallops for 1 minute on each side. Cool the scallops completely, then continue with the recipe below. You can also use smoked salmon strips to fold through the mixture instead of the caviar.

8 large, very fresh scallops, trimmed and cleaned
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp crème fraîche
2 tbsp freshly chopped chervil or chives
50g caviar
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
2 baby gem lettuces (optional)

1 Cut the scallops into small, even dice and season well. Mix with the crème fraîche and herbs, then fold through half of the caviar. Next add lemon juice, drop by drop, until you are happy with the flavour. Spoon the tartare mix into a small serving bowl with the remaining caviar scooped on top.

2 Arrange the serving bowl on a large plate with small spoons for people to dip into. Alternatively, you can serve the tartare in small lettuce cups. Remove the larger, outer leaves from the gem lettuces. Separate the remaining leaves and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon 1 heaped teaspoon of the tartare mixture inside each lettuce cup, followed by the caviar garnish.

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