Uploaded May 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this video, Tom Kemble of Bonhams Restaurant show us how to make his Isle of Mull Scallops, steamed in a Chinese dim sum basket and lightly seared on a grill. Served with cauliflower puree, oyster leaf and cucumber emulsion, confit Kombu and ponzu jelly.
This delicious dish combines tradition western food with Chinese and Japanese techniques, and dressings.
Isle of Mull Scallops
With cauliflower puree, oyster leaf and cucumber emulsion, confit Kombu and ponzu jelly
Cauliflower puree
500g cauliflower
Whole milk
Salt and pepper
1. finely slice cauliflower and sweat down in a pan with no colour in some butter
2. Cover with milk and cook until tender
3. Strain the cauliflower and place in a thermomix
4. Blitz for 3 minutes adding back the milk until you achieve a silky smooth consistency
Compressed Cucumber
2x cucumbers
1. Peel cucumbers and deseed and cut lengthwise
2. Compress in a sous vide bag for 90 seconds
3. Cut them into small discs
Oyster and cucumber emulsion
1 x cucumber (peeled)
20 x oyster leaves
3 leaves gelatine
300ml – vegetable oil
Chardonnay vinegar to taste
salt
1. Soften the gelatine in ice water
2. Juice the cucumber
3. Blitz the juice and oyster leaves together
4. Pass and heat gently in a saucepan
5. Dissolve gelatine into the juice
6. Using a stick blender emulsify the veg oil
7. Season with salt and chardonnay vinegar
Confit Kombu
Dashi
1000ml water
30g kombu
30g katsoubushi
1. Bring the water and kombu up to 80c and infuse for 30 minutes
2. Strain and add the katsoubushi and bring up to a simmer.
3. Remove from the stove, infuse for 10 minutes and pass through a chinois
Kombu cooking Liqour
100g sake
80g miri
300g dashi
200g soy
70g glucose
1. Bring all ingredients up to the boil and reduce by half
2. Carefully cut the used Kombu into squares and return to the pan
3. Cook at around 70c for 24 hours
4. The kombu should be soft and covered in the reduced cooking liquor
Ponzu jelly
400 ml dashi
50ml ponzu
20ml soy
Kombu vinegar
Dashi vinegar
2 leaves gelatine
1% Agar agar
1. Soften the gelatine in ice water
2. Heat dashi with soy, ponzu and vinegars
3. Dissolve the gelatine, add agar agar and cook out
4. Pour slowly onto a flat tray
5. Using a blowtorch get rid of any air bubbles
6. Leave to set and then chill
To Finish
• Steam the scallops gently for a few minutes in a dim sum basket or equivalent
• Finish the scallops quickly on a bar grill to mark them
• Brush with butter and soy
• Place a spoon of the cauliflower puree in a bowl
• Cut the ponzu jelly into disc
• Put a piece of confit Kombu on top of the scallop followed by a sheet of the Ponzu jelly
• Place 2 discs of the compressed cucumber and some julienne oyster leaf around the scallops and sauce
In this video, Tom Kemble of Bonhams Restaurant show us how to make his Isle of Mull Scallops, steamed in a Chinese dim sum basket and lightly seared on a grill. Served with cauliflower puree, oyster leaf and cucumber emulsion, confit Kombu and ponzu jelly.
This delicious dish combines tradition western food with Chinese and Japanese techniques, and dressings.
Isle of Mull Scallops
With cauliflower puree, oyster leaf and cucumber emulsion, confit Kombu and ponzu jelly
Cauliflower puree
500g cauliflower
Whole milk
Salt and pepper
1. finely slice cauliflower and sweat down in a pan with no colour in some butter
2. Cover with milk and cook until tender
3. Strain the cauliflower and place in a thermomix
4. Blitz for 3 minutes adding back the milk until you achieve a silky smooth consistency
Compressed Cucumber
2x cucumbers
1. Peel cucumbers and deseed and cut lengthwise
2. Compress in a sous vide bag for 90 seconds
3. Cut them into small discs
Oyster and cucumber emulsion
1 x cucumber (peeled)
20 x oyster leaves
3 leaves gelatine
300ml – vegetable oil
Chardonnay vinegar to taste
salt
1. Soften the gelatine in ice water
2. Juice the cucumber
3. Blitz the juice and oyster leaves together
4. Pass and heat gently in a saucepan
5. Dissolve gelatine into the juice
6. Using a stick blender emulsify the veg oil
7. Season with salt and chardonnay vinegar
Confit Kombu
Dashi
1000ml water
30g kombu
30g katsoubushi
1. Bring the water and kombu up to 80c and infuse for 30 minutes
2. Strain and add the katsoubushi and bring up to a simmer.
3. Remove from the stove, infuse for 10 minutes and pass through a chinois
Kombu cooking Liqour
100g sake
80g miri
300g dashi
200g soy
70g glucose
1. Bring all ingredients up to the boil and reduce by half
2. Carefully cut the used Kombu into squares and return to the pan
3. Cook at around 70c for 24 hours
4. The kombu should be soft and covered in the reduced cooking liquor
Ponzu jelly
400 ml dashi
50ml ponzu
20ml soy
Kombu vinegar
Dashi vinegar
2 leaves gelatine
1% Agar agar
1. Soften the gelatine in ice water
2. Heat dashi with soy, ponzu and vinegars
3. Dissolve the gelatine, add agar agar and cook out
4. Pour slowly onto a flat tray
5. Using a blowtorch get rid of any air bubbles
6. Leave to set and then chill
To Finish
• Steam the scallops gently for a few minutes in a dim sum basket or equivalent
• Finish the scallops quickly on a bar grill to mark them
• Brush with butter and soy
• Place a spoon of the cauliflower puree in a bowl
• Cut the ponzu jelly into disc
• Put a piece of confit Kombu on top of the scallop followed by a sheet of the Ponzu jelly
• Place 2 discs of the compressed cucumber and some julienne oyster leaf around the scallops and sauce
