Scallops baked in the shell with garlic and vermouth butter
Baking a king scallop in its own shell traps the juices so the scallop essentially poaches in butter and its own liquor, staying plump where a hard sear can tip into chew. The shell goes to the table hot, which is half the pleasure. Ask the counter for scallops in the shell and we shuck and clean them free, then give the shells back for the oven.
The idea is borrowed from Tom Kitchin, whose scallop baked in the shell is a signature at The Kitchin in Edinburgh, a restaurant with a Michelin star, and is published at The Staff Canteen. He seals his shells with puff pastry. Our counter version skips the pastry and lets the butter do the work.
Ingredients
- 6 king scallops in the shell (ask the counter to shuck and clean them and keep the cupped shells, free)
- 75g soft butter
- 1 clove garlic, crushed to a paste
- 1 small shallot, very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp dry vermouth or dry white wine
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- a squeeze of lemon
- a small handful of fresh breadcrumbs (optional)
- sea salt and black pepper
Method
- Heat the oven to 220C fan 200C, gas 7. Sit the cupped shells steady on a baking tray, on a bed of scrunched foil or coarse salt.
- Beat the butter with the garlic, shallot, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Pat the scallops very dry and sit one in each shell, roe on if you like it. Season lightly.
- Spoon a teaspoon of vermouth over each scallop, then cap with a slice of the flavoured butter. Scatter a pinch of breadcrumbs over if you want a light crust.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the butter is bubbling hard and the scallop has turned from translucent to just opaque with a bounce when pressed. Do not wait for colour, the carryover heat finishes the centre.
- Rest for 1 minute, add the smallest squeeze of lemon to each shell and take the tray straight to the table.
To serve: Serve in the shells on a bed of coarse salt so they sit level, with bread for the butter. To drink, a Chablis or an English sparkling.
Shop this recipe: scallops in the shell and the scallops hub. Shucked and cleaned at the counter, free.
Photo: Andy Li, via Wikimedia Commons, released to the public domain (CC0).
