With the 20th annual Rye Bay Scallop Week falling in February from Saturday17th to Sunday 25th of this month it's a great time to try them if you've not yet or to perfect cooking them this month.
If you have never eaten scallops before they have a have a briny saltiness with a slightly sweet and buttery taste. Their delicate texture makes them perfect for a quick saute in a pan with a simple sauce
The scallop is a mollusc and the only bivalve that can swim, the orange roe on it's side is called coral and is delicious with the scallop so don't throw this away! There are more than 300 species of scallop in the world some can be traced back 300 million years! You can tell the age of a scallop by it's shell (1 ring forms each year)
We've got an absolute classic dish for you to try with is Coquilles St Jacques
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Coquilles St Jacques with Prawns
Serves 4
Ingredients
50g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
500ml whole milk
Small bunch parsley, chopped
12 King Scallops
4 shells, cleaned or round eared dishes
200g Peeled Prawns
1 lemon, cut into wedges**
For the potato topping
600g floury potatoes, diced
50g unsalted butter
2 medium free-range egg yolks
You’ll also need
Potato ricer**
Piping bags
Method
For the white sauce: melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat, then whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, then simmer until bubbling. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the scallops and prawns among the shells, pour over the sauce, then leave to cool.
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 20 minutes until soft, then drain and pass through a potato ricer into a bowl. Mix in the butter and yolks, then season and put in a piping bag.
Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Pipe the potato mix around the edges of the shells, then sit them on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges
**No potato ricer? While the spuds are hot, push them through a sieve, in batches, using a wooden spoon.
Original recipe here - James Martin's Coquilles St Jacques
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