Chef's Recipes

The best-ever potato scallops

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for the best-ever potato scallops by Matt Wilkinson.

By Matt Wilkinson
  • 20 mins preparation
  • 40 mins cooking plus cooling
  • Serves 4 - 6
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The best-ever potato scallops

Ingredients

  • 800 ml pouring cream
  • 2 tbsp truffle oil
  • To taste: sea salt flakes and 30 turns of white pepper mill
  • 3 large potatoes, preferably King Edwards (200gm each), washed, ends cut off, sliced 1cm thick
  • For deep-frying: vegetable oil
Batter
  • 100 gm plain flour
  • 100 gm cornflour
  • 1¼ tbsp baking powder
  • 200 ml sparkling mineral water

Method

Main
  • 1
    For batter, mix dry ingredients together, then make a well and slowly whisk in the mineral water until you have a thick, smooth batter. Cover and set aside.
  • 2
    Preheat oven to 230C. Bring cream to the boil in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat, then add truffle oil and season to taste with sea salt and white pepper. Line a 26cm x 20cm x 6cm baking tray with baking paper, including the sides, then pour in the cream mixture. Arrange potato slices in the tray in a single layer, then cover with baking paper and foil. Pierce 5 holes in the foil, then bake until just tender but still firm (25-30 minutes; when tested with a skewer the potato should give a bit of resistence). Leave to cool in the liquid (1 hour). Once cool, carefully remove potato from the cream and place on a tray. (Strain the cream mixture and reserve for a rainy day – maybe use the cream to cook and mash potatoes in.)
  • 3
    Heat oil to 160C in a deepfryer. If you’re feeling flush, buy some winter truffles, thinly slice them and place a couple of slices on each potato scallop. Otherwise just dip the potato slices in the batter, shaking off excess, and deep-fry in batches, turning occasionally, until golden (2-3 minutes). Sprinkle with salt and serve straight away.