This was our first time buying scallops from anywhere at all. It was an impulsive buy, and so we decided to make it a worthwhile impulse by getting our hands on one of the most expensive breeds that was frozen immediately and shipped all the way from the deep seas of Hokkaido, Japan, to Singapore.
Scallops can be found in many different parts of the world. They are especially common and easily affordable in places that line the coastal shores. One can choose to cook them in many different ways, but the most common methods include pan-searing (with butter), stir-frying (with summer vegetables), baking (with pasta), steaming (with Asian sauces), or even sans cooking (as sashimi). I have a stack of scallop shells that I previously inherited from my mum. This has made it very convenient for me to decide that the scallops should be baked in cheese on the lovely ornamental plates.
Slurp them all up at a go to savour the authentic taste of freshly baked scallops!
Ingredients:
- Scallop shells: 10, washed thoroughly
- Large Scallops: 10, washed and pat dry
- Unsalted butter: 30g, melted
- Mayonnaise: 3 tbsp
- Salt (optional): 1/4 tsp
- Ground blackpepper: to taste
- Mixed herbs: 1 tsp
- Emmentaler or Gruyere cheese: 100g, grated
- Lemon: 1 slice
- Italian parsley: 1 stalk, chopped finely
Method:
- Line baking tray with foil. Preheat oven at 200 degrees Celsius.
- Scald scallop shells (without flesh) in boiling water for 5 min.
- Pat dry the shells. Place scallops (back) onto these shells.
- Bake scallops for 5 min. Remove and discard broth from shells.
- In the meantime, mix butter, mayonnaise, salt, black pepper and herbs together.
- Stir vigorously to dissolve mayonnaise till a paste forms.
- Spoon mixture onto scallops. Top with grated cheese.
- Return to oven. Bake for 10mins till golden brown.
- Squeeze lemon juice over scallops. Garnish with parsley to serve.
Tricks:
- Use the discarded scallop broth to cook other dishes such as spaghetti or soup.
- When topping the scallop with cheese for baking, ensure that there is enough to cover the spooned mixture so that the latter gets ‘contained’ within the shell after baking.
- Use a mild cheese for baking so as not to overwhelm the freshness of the scallops.
Disclaimer:
- This recipe was kindly adapted from ‘Noob Cook Easy Recipes‘.
Serving:
10 scallops
