Provencal Style Sea Scallops On Shell

[Margi Cintrano]

Provencal Style Sea Scallops

For 2 people - as an Appetiser for special occasion:

10 fresh large sea scallops ( corals and shells )
2 tablespoons French Cognac
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tomato
black freshly grinded pepper
all purpose flour
Sea salt or Himalayan Rose salt
3 tblsps extra virgin olive oil ( Hojiblanca and / or Arbequina from Girona, Iberian Peninsula or La Rioja )
A pinch of Provencal Herbs ( sold in Mixture as well in the U.S.A. )

1) SCRUB THE SHELLS and wash the scallop discs and corals well
2) remove the corals from the shells and reserve on a plate
3) cut each scallop in half horizontally and dry with absorbent paper towelling
4) dust the scallops on both sides lightly in flour and the herbs
5) place the cleaned shells in a medium hot oven at 350 degrees farenheit or 180 degrees centigrade ( see number 6 )
6) heat the shells on heat proof dish or on cookie tray ( a couple of minutes in a preheated oven )
7) heat the olive oil in a sauté pan ( skillet ) and when hot, sauté garlic minced and as soon as they turn a bit golden, add the Corals and sauté for one minute. Then, the scallops one more minute per side.
8) stand back from the stove and add the Cognac ( flambée ) so that u do not get burnt; and allow to simmer 1 minute to burn the alcohol off.
9) Stir in parsely acting as a garnish on top sprinkled with green for color and a pinch of the Provencal Herb Mixture
10) serve on the warm shells with candlelight !
11) White Wine / Champagne : Albariño Santiago Ruiz 2010 or Pazo de Señorans 2010 - Galicia - Spain or Prosecco or Cava ...

*** see my photo album called Sea Scallops
Margi Cintrano

[GLC]

Sigh... Would that I could buy here the just-off-the-boat scallops with coral I could eat in Nice once upon a time.

[ChefJune]

It is nigh unto impossible to get scallops in their shells in US, much less with the coral! Especially for the home cook.

Your recipe sounds wonderful, but I'm wondering what about it makes it "Provencal?" That term generally refers to a combination of garlic and tomatoes (which, by the way, I DON'T like with scallops).

[Margi Cintrano]

@ GLC,
Firstly, I am a new member and I live in two countries, Italy is my home, however I have numerous professional ties in Madrid Capital and thus, spend several laboral days in Madrid before returning to Italia. Secondly,
I have mentioned in the introduction of the Sea Scallop recipe article, that this is a special occasion appetiser, not a daily meal.
I hadn´t been aware that sea scallops are so pricey in Austin and the USA in general and that they are not available with coral intact.
Austin, is a lovely city with some great restaurants ... Have dear old friends living there. There is a fabulous wine shop there, that I had visited too. Impressive inventory of above average wines from the European continent, Oregon and Washington State too.
The general recipe could be renovated for prawns = shrimp.
Margi Cintrano ( Margaux).

[Margi Cintrano]

@ Chef June,

Chicken Provencal is a fine alternative or Prawns = Shrimps or perhaps a Filet of Sole or Fresh Codfish, perhaps can work too ... It is the style -- which makes an exquisite special occasion appetiser ... Yes, Codfish ... or Seabass, or Halibut. A firm white fish variety ...

[Claire]

Yum! I love scallops. But I've never bought them live, only IQF, and have never seen the coral except on TV!

[GLC]

Thanks, Margi. We can certainly do the recipe with what we can get, which is almost always previously frozen. 15USD per pound would be a good price for fresh. The roe is just too perishable to allow them to be shipped whole and offered at any reasonable price. Where I've heard of shucked scallops with coral available in the U.S., the price approached 30USD. Although, I find an outlet that will ship ten pounds of live scallops in the shell for 160USD and 20USD shipping. Fresh with roe, 5 pounds for 160USD plus 20USD shipping. So it is possible here.

U.S. scallops are harvested mainly off the coast of the state of Maine. Prices are now at record highs. Apparently, the global demand is up, and supplies from Japan and elsewhere is down. Fishermen are getting about 10USD per pound. Last year, only 234 fishermen actually caught scallops for a total of 195,000 pounds, which isn't much on a global scale. It is likely that the higher prices will bring out more fishermen, and the scallop population will suffer, so prices can only go up for a while. They can only harvest from mid-December through March.

[ChefJune]

I'm lucky. I've gotten to eat scallops raw, just off the day boat, in both Boston MA and in Barnegat Light, NJ. But never one with coral.

They are amazing in their brightness of flavor. Ever since then I only prepare them with a minimum of cooking and ingredients. and I never, ever bread them. Any more.

[Timothy]

Originally Posted by ChefJune

I'm lucky. I've gotten to eat scallops raw, just off the day boat, in both Boston MA and in Barnegat Light, NJ. But never one with coral.

They are amazing in their brightness of flavor. Ever since then I only prepare them with a minimum of cooking and ingredients. and I never, ever bread them. Any more.

If I were rich, there are two foods I would love to eat every day; That one super-tender bite of a rare Porterhouse that is right up there next to the bone on the top curve of the bone and a seared scallop basted with fresh butter.

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by Timothy

If I were rich, there are two foods I would love to eat every day; That one super-tender bite of a rare Porterhouse that is right up there next to the bone on the top curve of the bone and a seared scallop basted with fresh butter.

Timothy, you and I must be related!