i-escape blog / Chef Giuseppe Somma of Villa DubrovnikOne of our favourite moments at cliffside Croatian hotel Villa Dubrovnik was savouring a delicious dinner on the terrace as we gazed across the moonlit water to Dubrovnik’s majestic old town. In a bid to recreate it at home, we asked chef Giuseppe Somma to share the recipe for one of his favourite dishes: seared scallops with purple potato purée, purple potato chips, beet cream and asparagus cream. Now we just have to find a view that pretty… 

i-escape blog / Villa Dubrovnik

i-escape blog / Seared scallops at Villa Dubrovnik

For the purple potato purée

Ingredients:

  • 300g peeled purple potatoes
  • 10g salt
  • 100g butter
  • 40g extra virgin olive oil
  • 50ml milk
  • Peel of 2 lemons

Method:

  • Peel the potatoes and boil in water until they are cooked
  • Once cooked, drain them and push through a sieve
  • Boil the milk and lemon together in a pan
  • Add the milk mixture to the potato purée and stir in the cold butter and olive oil. Season with salt

For the purple potato chips

Ingredients:

  • 100g peeled purple potatoes

Method:

  • Boil the potatoes until soft
  • Put them in the freezer until solid
  • Finely grate the potato onto baking paper and cook at 100°C for 1 hour

For the beet cream

Ingredients:

  • 2 square beets

Method:

  • Boil the beets in water until tender
  • Blitz them in a mixer
  • Emulsify with a small amount of vegetable stock, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

For the asparagus cream

Ingredients:

  • 1 green asparagus, cut in half

Method:

  • Boil the asparagus in salted water
  • Blend in a mixer with a little of the cooking water, salt and pepper, and 3-4 spinach leaves
  • Emulsify with extra virgin olive oil

Scallops

Ingredients:

  • 3 scallops
  • Oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Method:

  • Sear the scallops in a hot pan with a little oil, salt and pepper

Assemble all of the elements together on a plate and enjoy!

i-escape blog / Villa Dubrovnik