Harbar Bistro is the heart and soul of the Harbour Heights Hotel, with exquisite double AA-rosette awarded cuisine that is complemented by one of the finest and diverse wine cellars in the area.

At the helm of the kitchen is French-born head chef Loic Gratadoux who, after studying at the École Supérieure de Cuisine Française, spent two years at La Table du Lancaster in Paris before travelling to Australia to chef in one of the finest seafood restaurants, the Pier in Sydney.

The kitchen is supplied with the finest of ingredients from the region and their food is a creative combination of classic British flair with a French twist. Loic is passionate about ingredients, he believes in using only the finest and freshest hand sourced local produce.

Scallops with Romanesco Broccoli, a Cauliflower Duo and Hazelnut Dressing

Serves 4

  • 12 hand-dived scallops (in their shells)
  • 1 orange cauliflower
  • 1 romanesco broccoli
  • 1 bunch pencil leeks

For the cauliflower purée:

  • 1 cauliflower milk (to cover)
  • Dash of double cream
  • Pinch of salt

For the Hazelnut Dressing:

  • 50g whole hazelnuts (blanched)
  • 3 shallots (finely diced)
  • 35g walnut vinegar
  • 60g extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to season

For the scallops:

Start by opening the scallops, this is done by inserting a knife into the shell and scraping the inside top. Once open, remove only the white part of the scallop from the base and keep it on the side until needed.

For the purée:

Bring a pan of milk to the boil. Cut the cauliflower into small slices and add to the milk. Gently simmer until the cauliflower is soft, at that point, discard the milk and place the cauliflower in a blender. Add to this the dash of double cream and salt then blend until smooth.

For the vegetables:

Cut the orange cauliflower and romanesco broccoli into small florets and trim the pencil leeks. Bring a pan of salted water to boil, then cook the cauliflower and broccoli for 3 minutes and the leeks for 1 minute. Then transfer them into ice-cold water and keep in the fridge until 30 minutes before you are ready to serve.

For the hazelnut dressing:

Preheat the oven to 180°C before roasting the hazelnuts for 3 minutes. Then take them out and slightly crush them, leaving rough pieces. Mix with shallots, salt, pepper, walnut vinegar and olive oil.

To serve:

Start by laying the cauliflower purée on the plate before adding the vegetables. Heat a frying pan to a high temperature then pan fry the scallops for 1 minute, searing them on each side. Transfer these to the plate and generously drizzle with hazelnut dressing.