Gratinated scallops on orange lamb's lettuce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g lamb’s lettuce
• 1 bowl of cherry tomatoes or cocktail tomatoes, small
• 3 orange(s), mild, seedless
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar bianco
• 2 tbsp oil, good (e.g. walnut oil)
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp, strained mustard, medium hot
• 1 tsp jam (elderflower jelly or other jelly)
• salt and pepper
• Sugar
• some Crema di Balsamic vinegar for garnishing
• 8 scallops, preferably fresh (ready to cook), with the shells
• 125 g butter, good
• 50 g Parmesan, freshly grated
• 1 slice(s) toast bread or breadcrumbs
• 8 small cocktail tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch parsley, flat, not too finely chopped
• 1 pinch of tomato paste
• Salt and pepper, white

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

as a starter

First, clean the lamb’s lettuce, trimming only the small roots (do not tear them apart), wash the lettuce thoroughly, and then dry it (spin or pat dry). Fillet the oranges, collect the juice, and use it for the marinade. Wash the tomatoes, halve them, and remove the stems (reserve eight for the mussels). Whisk together the dressing ingredients and season with salt, pepper, and a little more sugar, if desired. Arrange the lamb’s lettuce on large plates, divide the tomatoes and orange segments between them, then drizzle with the marinade and garnish with balsamic vinegar. Finely chop the garlic, coarsely chop the parsley, and quarter the tomatoes. Grind the crustless bread in a food processor and mix with the Parmesan cheese. Heat the butter in a pan (not too hot, or the butter will turn brown or black), add the garlic, tomatoes, and a little tomato paste, and toss briefly. Add the mussel meat and sear for about a minute on one side. Season with salt and pepper. Finally, add the parsley and remove the pan from the heat. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan grill). Secure one shell for each mussel to the grill rack with aluminum foil. Place one mussel in each shell (sealed side down) and spread almost all of the butter with the garlic, tomato, and parsley mixture evenly among the shells. Spoon the cheese and bread mixture onto the mussels and drizzle with the remaining butter. Place the rack in the oven on the middle rack (or one rack higher if necessary) and gratinate for about 10 minutes, until the cheese crust is lightly browned. Arrange the mussels on the salad plates (this works well with tongs). Serve with fresh baguette and a good white wine. We find two scallops per person is sufficient as a starter, of course, depending on the size of the mussels and the appetite of the guests. If necessary, you can also plan for three or four mussels per person, in which case please increase the quantity of ingredients accordingly.