Seared scallops, sweet potato, pineapple, coconut and Asian spiced foam

Ingredients

* 12 large scallops

* 25g unsalted butter

* Juice of half a lemon

* Fresh coconut shavings (keep the milk for the foam)

* Olive oil

* 175g cooked large leaf spinach

* Chervil or coriander for garnish

* 1 medium pineapple

* 500ml sugar stock syrup

* 50g sultanas

* 300ml red wine

* 1 cinnamon stick

* 500g large sweet potato

* 250g unsalted butter, softened

* 50g diced shallots

* 1 clove of garlic, crushed

* Pinch of turmeric, garam masala, ground cumin, coriander seed, cardamon seed and chilli powder

* 900ml fish stock

Method

Pineapple crisps

Prepare a day in advance. Top and tail the pineapple and trim the sides to remove the tough skin. Set a gravity slicing machine as thin as possible and slice the pineapple whole to give perfect round thin slices. Dip each slice into the stock syrup and shake off any surplus syrup, then place on a non stick mat and dry in a low oven for 4 hours at 100C. Remove from the oven and cut the rounds in half before they cool, then allow to cool. The discs should crisp: if not continue drying in oven.

Sultanas soaked in red wine

Prepare a day in advance. Add the red wine and cinnamon stick to the stock syrup from the pineapple in a sauce pan. Bring to the boil and reduce by half, then add the sultanas. Remove from the heat and allow to cool, leaving the sultanas to marinate in the syrup. Store when cooled ready for use.

Sweet potato pure

For the sweet potato puree, wrap each sweet potato in its skin in tin foil and bake in the oven at 170C until soft, then take out of the oven and remove the skins whilst still hot. Place into a blender. Add the softened butter and blend to a silky smooth puree. Season to taste and keep warm ready for use.

Curry foam

Sweat the shallots and garlic without colour with a little oil. Add a teaspoon of the curry spice mix and sweat again without colour for 5 minutes. Add the fish stock and reduce by half. Add the cream and coconut milk then reduce slightly. Keep the sauce loose, ready to foam with a hand blender. Pass through double thick muslin, correct the seasoning to taste and keep warm to one side.

The scallops and serving

When ready, cook the seasoned scallops presentation side first in a little oil for a minute to a minute and a half until they are a nice golden brown. Add the butter and lemon juice, turn the scallops over and remove the pan from the heat. Baste the scallops with the cooking liquor, then let the heat from the pan carry on cooking the scallops for a further minute. Once cooked, warm and season the spinach and arrange all ingredients onto plates. Foam the sauce with a hand blender and present using your imagination (and with the picture for reference).

About the elms

The Elms, set imposingly in the beautiful Teme valley, sits peacefully at the end of a sweeping, tree-lined drive, yet is within easy reach of the M5.

Built in 1710 by the architect Gilbert White, a pupil of Sir Christopher Wren, it became home to racehorse breeder Sir Richard Brooke in 1927. He substantially extended it, adding ornate ceilings, carved fireplaces, antique furnishings and stained glass windows from his Cheshire family home.

The award-winning cuisine produced by head chef Daren Bale and his team features many local ingredients including farmhouse cheeses, fresh fruits and honey, plus an extensive Old and New World Wine list.

The Elms boasts 21 individually and luxuriously decorated bedrooms, complemented by spacious public areas.