Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and whether you're planning a romantic date night or a Galentine's Gathering, this is crowd-pleaser of a dish is sure to impress and delight your guest(s), while making things easy for the Cook (You!). The only cooking you're doing is boiling up some noodles. Tough work (ssshh). You can also make the infused oil ahead of time, and even that is the work of mere minutes. This also leaves you plenty of time to prep appetizers, dessert, or just to pour a glass of wine and chill. Whatever your heart desires!

Ingredients

• 6g chives, chopped into chunks

• 10g sakura ebi

• 100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Dried somen noodles or angel hair pastaa (60 to 80g per portion)

• Sashimi Grade Scallops

• Uni

• Chives, for garnish

• Shio kombu (to taste)

• Truffle oil (to taste)

Directions

• Start by making the sakura ebi and chive oil. Simply place the chopped chives, sakura ebi, and extra virgin olive oil all in a saucepan. Switch the heat on to low, allowing the oil to be infused, while toasting the sakura ebi. This is done when you smell it, and the sakura ebi looks golden. Set aside.

• Boil your thin noodles according to the package instructions, and to your preferred doneness. Drain and rinse your noodles. Place it into a large bowl, and we'll start to season it. The quantities of the seasoning will be based on your own preference, and is also dependent on the type of shio kombu//truffle oil you use.

• Drizzle some of the sakura ebi oil over the noodles, and add in some shio kombu. I usually start with 1/2 Tablespoon of shio kombu per portion of noodles. Then drizzle in a tiny amount of truffle oil. Toss and mix everything together. Taste, and adjust with more truffle oil//shio kombu//sakura ebi oil, until you're happy with the final taste. Let it marinate and chill in the fridge for a few hours. The flavours will meld and intensify in the fridge.

• Slice your scallops into thirds horizontally, then add a touch of shio kombu, and sakura ebi oil. Place it in the fridge until serving time.

• To serve, arrange your chilled noodles on your plate. Top it off with the marinated scallops, and spoon some uni over it. Garnish with some chopped chives, and serve!