This is a lovely recipe from Green’s in Whitby. It is simple to prepare and cooks in a flash. The only tricky part is sourcing the tiny scallop shells which you need to cook the dish. I asked Rob Green’s advice on where to source them. Apparently fishmonger’s are not allowed to sell the tiny scallop shells but you can buy them on the internet or from seaside shell shops.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
18 scallops, cleaned and shells reserved
2 slices of York ham (Parma will do), cut into small strips
4 tbsp freshly made hazelnut pesto
25g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Method:
Preheat oven to 200°C/ Gas 6.
Place 18 small scallop shells on a baking tray.
Place a queen scallop in each shell and top with a few shreds of ham, a teaspoon of hazelnut pesto and a pinch of finely grated Parmesan cheese.
Place in a hot oven for 3 – 5 minutes or until the scallops are cooked and the Parmesan cheese is bubbling.
Serve garnished with a delicate sprig of chervil or other salad leaves and warm, fresh bread.
Hazelnut Pesto
Ingredients:
50g hazelnuts
50g Parmesan cheese
Large bunch of basil
150ml olive oil
2 cloves garlic
Sea salt and ground black pepper
Method:
Place the hazelnuts in a small, hot frying pan and toast until they are dark brown.
Shake the pan from time to time to prevent the nuts burning.
Finely grate the Parmesan cheese and place the toasted hazelnuts and the remaining ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Season the scallops with salt and pepper.