Scallops al nage, vongole, fennel and celery oil

Put 500g vongole in lots of cold salted water for a few hours, then rinse them under the tap and bring to the boil with 50 ml Noilly Prat vermouth, pepper, a few sprigs of thyme and a laurel leaf in a lidded pand. Drain as soon as they are all open (about 4-5 mins) but keep the cooking liquids to make a sauce.

Put 15g celery leaves in boiling water for a few minutes to soften. Rinse under cold water and squeeze till dry.

Put in the blender with 40 ml sunflower oil, season with salt and pepper and blend well. Press through a sieve to get the green oil, discard the pulp

Peel 1/2 celery stick, 1/2 shallot, 1/2 clove of garlic and 1/4 fennel bulb, then cut them in very small cubes. Season with salt and pepper and sweat them softly  in a tbsp butter and a glug of Noilly Prat

Get the vongole from their shells

Bring their cooking liquid to the boil with 50 ml double cream and reduce till you have a nice thick sauce

Cut a very thin slice of fennel into strips and marinate in a glug of tarragon vinegar, salt and pepper

Panfry 6 scallops in and oiled pan on high temperature, turn around and add a tbsp butter.

Also add some butter and a few drops of lemon juice to the sauce and whisk briefly with the stick blender 

Plate as shown, starting with the cubed veggies, then the sauce, the scallops and the vongole

Finish with the green oil. And the marinated fennel, which I forgot :)

(Here Jeroen Meus' original recipe and a video in Flemish)

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