Is it really that complicated to cook scallops? This express recipe by Jean-François Piège demonstrates precisely the opposite!
Popular with gourmets, scallops enhance New Year’s Eve tables. Evolving mainly in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, these bivalve molluscs of the Pectinidae family harbor a firm and fleshy white muscle (the nut), attached to a genital gland (the coral), which appears more or less developed (or even completely absent) depending on its reproduction period. If both parts remain entirely edible, the nut, finer in the mouth, remains by far the most processed and the most prized. Their regulated fishing season runs from October 1 to May 14, reaching its peak in winter, which is why they are happy to be part of the holiday menu.
Detailed in carpaccio, snacked or gratinated, the scallop can be used in multiple recipes as long as its delicate flesh is respected. Overcooked, it becomes rubbery to the bite. Have you never prepared one and want to take the plunge this year? The leader Jean-François Piège tells you his recipe “just like at home” that he even serves in his restaurant: scallops cooked in shells and their maître d’hôtel butter. If the title impresses, the preparation is elementary (or almost).
The quantities here are intended for 5 shells. First work 160 g of semi-salted butter with a generous trio of chopped fresh herbs (with a knife and not in a blender, specifies the chef, in order to fully preserve their taste): 40 g of parsley, 40 g of chervil and 20 g of tarragon. Season this base with a few turns of the pepper mill and the juice of half a lemon. Tip: if you can, prepare your butter in advance and keep it in the fridge so that all the flavors infuse!
Then, place a nice spoonful of herb butter (depending on your level of generosity) on each nut, without cutting the nerve that connects the muscle to the shell, they must remain united. All that remains is to cook them. Chef Piège, who loves them “almost raw and hot at the same time”recommends placing them quickly under the oven grill, between 1 min 30 and 2 min, to obtain the perfect texture.
Once cooking is complete, enhance your nuts with a little fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper, then immediately arrange the shells on a napkin in a serving dish and perk them up with a few lime zests. Chic, easy and quick!
