Peaches, scallops, plenty of fresh herbs and strained buttermilk is a combination that only the most accomplished chef could come up with. The flavours come together wonderfully to create a thought-provoking, colourful and very tasty starter that can be cooked in minutes.

Course: Starter, Serves: 4

Method

Place the buttermilk in a sieve lined with a piece of muslin cloth, set over a bowl and place in the fridge for 6 hours to strain. To make the salsa, blend all the ingredients together in a food processor (or using a hand blender) until smooth. Whisk over ice until chilled to keep the salsa a bright green colour. Season to taste.

When ready to serve, scrape the strained buttermilk out of the muslin cloth and into a bowl. Whisk until lightly whipped then set aside in the fridge. To cook the scallops, heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan. Place the scallops in a single layer on a tray, brush with a little extra oil and season. When the oil in the pan is almost smoking, add the scallops, one after another, in a clockwise direction. Once you have put the last scallop in the pan, start turning the first scallop over, then continue turning them over in the same clockwise direction. Brown well then remove from the pan.

To serve, add some salsa to each plate and arrange the scallops on top. Add the peach slices, place a spoonful of the buttermilk on the slices and garnish with coriander cress.

Recipe and photographs taken from Great British Chefs: 120 Recipes from Britain’s Best Chefs, £25. Available to buy from Amazon.