It is hard to imagine a more delectable dish than fresh scallops cooked in this manner. The secret of preparing this recipe is to avoid overcooking them. Serve as a starter or a fish course. Keep it very simple and don’t confuse the dish by serving accompaniments such as salad alongside it.
preparation time 30 minutes
cooking time about 10 minutes
serves 4
Ingredients
8 large fresh scallops
50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter, clarified
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh fennel herb
juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce
50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
3 shallots, finely diced
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh fennel herb
125 ml (4 fl oz) dry white wine
50 ml (2 fl oz) vermouth
1 bay leaf
350 ml (12 fl oz) double cream
juice of 1⁄2 lemon
4 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4.
2 Remove the scallops from their shells, wash them and gently pat dry. Cut off and discard the small muscle. Using a very sharp knife, slice each scallop horizontally into 3 thin slices.
3 Lightly grease a baking tray with some of the clarified butter. Arrange 3 slices of scallop on the tray so that they overlap slightly and form a circle, brushing each slice with a little of the butter. Repeat with the remaining scallops.
4 Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle the fennel over the scallops and moisten with the lemon juice. Chill while you make the sauce.
5 Heat the butter in a saucepan, add the shallots and cook gently, without colouring, until softened. Add the chopped fennel, wine, vermouth and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and boil until reduced in volume by half. Stir in the cream and lemon juice and bring to the boil, then season with salt and pepper.
6 Put the scallops into the oven and cook for 2 minutes.
7 Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and flood it over 4 plates. Carefully lift the scallop circles on to the sauce using a large fish slice.
8 Arrange the tomato flesh in 3 little heaps on each plate. Top with the chives and serve immediately.
Scallops are, for me, the king of the sea. If you can obtain them, do try queen scallops, the smaller relation. Slightly sweeter, even tastier, and definitely queen of the sea.