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]

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]

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!

 

[Timothy]

Timothy, you and I must be related!

Are you my long-lost Sister? My Dad *did* get around a lot...

 

[Margi Cintrano]

To: All the Writers Online Who have commented on Sea Scallops,

Thank you for your invaluable info on the scallop catch in Maine and the price details. They can certainly cost the earth with coral ... However, this as you already are aware, is a special occasion appetiser ... Not a daily meal ... And the recipe is quite diversified, and can be used with seabass, cod fish, shrimps or prawns, halibut and other USA variety catches, such as Ma Hi Ma Hi ( doplhin fish = NOT the mammal ! ) and / or filet of chicken breasts. Thanks for all ur info once again.
M.C.

 

[ChefJune]

To: All the Writers Online Who have commented on Sea Scallops,

Thank you for your invaluable info on the scallop catch in Maine and the price details. They can certainly cost the earth with coral ... However, this as you already are aware, is a special occasion appetiser ... Not a daily meal ... And the recipe is quite diversified, and can be used with seabass, cod fish, shrimps or prawns, halibut and other USA variety catches, such as Ma Hi Ma Hi ( doplhin fish = NOT the mammal ! ) and / or filet of chicken breasts. Thanks for all ur info once again.
M.C.

Margi, they cost the earth without coral! Around here sea scallops go for anywhere between $18 and $25 per pound. And the Nantucket Cape Scallops (my personal favorites) can go even higher.

 

[Timothy]

Margi, they cost the earth without coral! Around here sea scallops go for anywhere between $18 and $25 per pound. And the Nantucket Cape Scallops (my personal favorites) can go even higher.

They're $15 a pound here!

 

[ChefJune]

Interesting, especially since you are farther away from the source than I am.

 

[Timothy]

Interesting, especially since you are farther away from the source than I am.

Once or twice a year, they put them on sale for about $11 per/pound. I generally buy enough to last the year then and drop a $100+ on them.

 

[Addie]

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).

We can get them here. They have a fleet of boats down in New Bedford that are scallopers. When they come in, they unload and send their catch to the Boston Auction. You just have to be willing to find a fishmonger. We have one right here in Central Square and it is called "Right Off The Boat." One side is the store, and the other side is the restaurant. A small one with only a few tables. He has the freshest fish and shellfish right from the auction.

 

[buckytom]

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

you need to befriend a diver.

dw's friend's hubby is a dive master that brings back scallops and lobsters during summer dives in the sound and the atlantic. that's when he's not diving on the andrea doria.

there's nothing like a fresh, real (not treated in any way) scallop. yum.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

@ Bucky,

Good Morning,

Thanks for your input. Personally, I rather own the Fleet of Fishing boats that go net the Sea Scallops ! verses being a friend of a Diver ! My viewpoint.

Truly, glad that they are a symbol of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain: The Santiago Way.

Has anyone ever seen the film: lead actor Martin Sheen, who is Galician American, made and directed called, The Santiago Way ?

This is an ancient route and shrine ( next to Roma and Jerusalem ) of Catholic Pilgrims going to the shrine of Saint James ... He protrays an Eye Doctor of 62 yrs old who receives a phone call from the Navarran Police in the Pyrenees ( there are a dozen routes more or less for this Special Walk in which you receive a Certificate ).

The police tell Martin Sheen, that his son was found dead. Martin makes the trip to claim his son´s body and thus, he makes this Walk, called the EL CAMINO SANTIAGO in Spanish.

The film was made here in Galicia and the original is in English. It is a very profound film.

I highly suggest it. This film is amazing photographically of the northern provinces of Spain.

Have nice wkend.

JOISY is NEW JERSEY, YES ?
Kind regards.
Margi.