Queen scallop Coquilles St Jacques

Image | Mike Searle © Copyright | Cornwall Good Seafood Guide

Recipe by

Ken Symons Private Chef

My passion for great Cornish produce has never wavered, championing local artisan producers at every opportunity. I simply love food - cooking, eating and growing. With forty years experience within the restaurant and banquet industry and a wealth of awards behind me, including best westcountry chef and restaurant of the year.

I now cook privately from 2 to 2000, have knife will travel, from design to execution - in my eyes, consistency is key.

Ken Symons (@kellylhagowl) • Instagram photos and videos

kensymons@privatechef (@kensymonspriva1) / Twitter

Chef

Ken Symons

Website

https://www.instagram.com/kellylhagowl/?hl=en

Ingredients

500g shelled queen scallops

200ml fish stock

½ glass of white wine or Vermouth

2 banana shallots

175g button mushrooms

Juice 1/2 lemon

1tbsp butter

80ml creme fraiche

1tbsp plain flour

King scallop shells or a similar size scallop dish

Duchess potatoes

750g floury potatoes (king Edward or Maris Piper, cut into quarters)

40g butter

Nutmeg

3 egg yolks

50ml milk

Ground white pepper.

Method

Serves four

Preparation time 30 minutes.

An authentic French classic this much loved dish can be made using ordinary king scallops (always choose diver collected) but we think it is best enjoyed using Cornish Queen scallops, sustainably fished under sail and oar. These small ‘black’ shelled scallops are a sustainable Cornish delicacy and a well kept secret.

Here Ken Symons shares his tried and tested recipe with us, you just have to try it!

If you are using queen scallops you will find the shells are a little small to use to present this dish in the classic fashion, so either source some king scallop shells or use a ‘scallop shaped’ or similar dish for each serving.

For the potatoes,

Peel and boil in salted water until tender, drain and return to the pan and dry them over a low heat for 2/3 minutes. Mash, add milk butter pepper and ground nutmeg beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, let it cool a little,then place in a piping bag with a 2 cm nozzle and pipe around the edge of the scallop shell or serving dish.

Cook the scallops and mushrooms

Heat the wine and fish stock, drop in the scallops for 20 seconds only, remove and keep to one side, bring the stock to the boil and reduce by half, retain.

In your pan cook the mushrooms with a little butter, lemon juice and season, save with the scallops.

For the sauce,

Fry the shallots with 1tbsp butter, theb add 1 tbsp flour, this should go like foam, add the reduced stock a little at a time until you have a smooth silky sauce, add the creme fraiche and whatever liquid has come from the scallops.

When the sauce has thickened add the scallops and mushrooms, divide between the shells, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, place under a hot grill until golden. Serve on a plate using a little potato mash to anchor to the plate.

Ken Symons 2020

Scallop

Scallop Dredging

7f.I (Trevose bank: beyond 6nm)

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Scallop dredges are heavy duty metal framed, toothed nets that are pulled over the seabed to target scallops which live buried in the sand or mud seabed. Scallop dredging in Cornwall is highly regulated.

Scallop Dredging

7e.I (Inshore Cornwall: beyond 6nm)

1

2

3

4

5

Scallop dredges are heavy duty metal framed, toothed nets that are pulled over the seabed to target scallops which live buried in the sand or mud seabed. Scallop dredging in Cornwall is highly regulated.

Scallop Dredging

off South Coast, 7e.I (Inshore Cornwall: beyond 6nm)

1

2

3

4

5

Scallop dredges are heavy duty metal framed, toothed nets that are pulled over the seabed to target scallops which live buried in the sand or mud seabed. Scallop dredging in Cornwall is highly regulated.