I first saw scallops in their natural habitat when diving at John’s Point in Co Donegal.

I was amazed as they hopped up in front of me and then swam backwards, like a set of wind-up false teeth. It was so tempting to grab some to take home for dinner, but I restrained myself, as it is illegal for a diver to take any shellfish from Irish waters.

More recently, when I was filming the television show Guerilla Gourmet, I was able to obtain special permission from the Department of the Marine to dive for king scallops off Bere Island in Co Cork. Clutching my bounty as I exited the water, I couldn’t resist immediately tasting one. Cutting open the first one,I was amazed by the magnificent colour.

A fresh scallop has a grey white hue and older scallops have a pure white colour. The coral shell was a beautiful pink with a necklace of brown and white with hints of gold and silver.

The taste was sublime, el egant, slightly sweet but pure and unique. The cook’s job is to do very little indeed with such a wonderful product and pass on as much of this flavour as possible.

King scallops are in season from mid to late September until April. I am not a fan of the milky Scottish scallops that are available all year round. They are easy to identify as they are a lot smaller than king scallops and more rubbery in texture. Queen scallops are available in the summer months and, while good, they are small (only about 2cm in diameter) and a lot more work is involved in producing a dish with these.

When I developed this dish a few years ago I wanted to represent the habitat of the scallop. First, I prepare the plate, painting it with colours made from natural vegetable powder to replicate the necklace of the seabed.

The dish reflects the past, present and future of Ireland: the peas represent the green land, the black squid ink sauce represents the pain and hardship experienced from the famine to the troubles, the scallop represents the sea all around us, the caviar is a reflection of the modern wealthy Ireland of today and the gold leaf represents hope for our future. Don’t be intimidated by this dish. You can try all of the elements or they can be used separately if you wish.

Roast king scallop with sugar snap peas, caviar and gold leaf

Ingredients (serves 4)

4 king scallops
Half a lemon
Sea salt
Fresh ground white pepper
Olive oil
Garnish
4 salmon eggs
4 pieces dried seaweed
4 chervil leaves
4 fresh dried tomato skin
5g leek puree
5g scallop roe powder
5g trompette de la mort powder
32sugar snap peas
1 shallot
10g chives
8g oscietre caviar
1 gold leaf sheet

Sauce

1 lemon
4 squid ink sacks from fresh squid
20ml dry martini
20ml Pernod
1/2fennel bulbs (roughly chopped)
2s tar anise
1 clove
1 shallot diced
250ml fish stock
125ml cream
5 whole white pepper corns
Sea salt
Fresh ground milled pepper
10ml olive oil

Method: scallops

1. Clean and wash the scallops, then season with salt and pepper and rub with olive oil.
2. Heat the pan and saute the scallops, brown on both sides and place in a hot oven at 170ºC for two minutes.
3. Remove and squeeze the juice of one lemon over the scallops.

Method: sauce

1. Heat the pan, saute off the shallots and fennel without colouring.
2. Add the star anise, cloves, white peppercorns and cook for two to three minutes.
3. Add the wine, Pernod and martini and bring to the boil. Reduce by half and add the squid ink.
4. Cook gently for ten minutes and add the fish stock, then bring to the boil and simmer until reduced by half.
5. Taste and season, then add the cream and bring back to boil and reduce again by half.
6. Correct the seasoning and pass through a fine sieve and serve.

Method: sugar snap peas

1. Wash the peas and remove the string from both sides.
2. Blend peas for two minutes in blender.
3. Dice the shallot finely and saute on a heated pan without colouring for two to three minutes, then remove and allow to cool.
4. Wash and finely chop chives, then mix well with the shallot and peas.
5. Season to taste and place into an 8cm ring to shape.

To serve

Paint the plates (optional). Pipe five dots of leek puree on the plate and garnish with the salmon eggs, seaweed, tomato skin and chervil.

Then place the peas into the centre of the plate and remove the ring. Sauce the plate with the squid ink, place the scallop on top of the sugar snap peas, then add a little caviar and finish by placing the gold leaf on top. Sprinkle the side of the plate with lime leaf and coral powders.

Kevin Thornton is a Michelin-starred chef and owner of Thornton’s Restaurant on St Stephen’s Green in Dublin. www.thorntonsrestaurant.com