Queen scallops in a Chinese style broth

We often go to a Chinese place, near where we live, called the noodle bar. Huge steaming hot bowls of delicious food come flying out of the kitchen at an alarming rate and the smells and the busy, buzzing atmosphere add to the experience. I try to have something different every time as I don't want to feel I'm missing out on something but I do regularly have a bowl of noodles in broth with whatever I fancied that day heaped on top. I have tried to replicate something similar here and although it isn't exactly authentic it tasted pretty good. 

Scallops come courtesy of a nice man from the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man queenie scallop festival is running from the 29th June to the 5th July this year so book your seat!

Ingredients:

• 30 queenie scallops or 10 king scallops


• 500ml chicken or vegetable stock


• star anise


• 2 spring onions roughly chopped


• thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into thin batons


• clove of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced


• small deseeded chilli, thinly sliced


• two medium sized pak choi, roughly chopped


• coriander to garnish


• 150g udon or medium rice noodles


• sesame oil


• vegetable oil

Warm the stock in a pan with the star anise in it to infuse. Put on a pan of water to boil, then add the noodles, take off the heat and let the noodles cook in the hot water for the time indicated on the packet. Heat a wok on a very high heat then add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. The pan should be smoking hot ( but do be careful!). Have everything chopped and lined up beside the pan at this point as it doesn't take long to cook in the high heat.  Add the garlic, ginger and chilli and stir fry for about 30 seconds then add the scallops and cook for a further minute. Add the pak choi, spring onions and the cooked noodles and fry for another thirty seconds to a minute and then add about three tsps of sesame oil. Take off the heat, ladle in the stock (having removed the star anise) and serve immediately, in bowls, with a sprig of coriander on top. 

Isle of Man scallop festival

The annual queenie scallop festival on the Isle of Man is drawing closer so get those scallop taste buds at the ready. It is on from the 29th June to the 5th July and the web site will give you all the other details you need. There was a competition last year for the best amateur and professional scallop recipe and I believe the prize was handed out by the hairy bikers, so don't delay in getting those recipes in. Here is a rather delicious recipe I did last year with my lovely scallops kindly given to me by Island Seafare.

Lovely Fish pie

I made this dish last weekend with the scallops but never got round posting it. I'm still feeling a bit lazy and am knee deep in decorating so I won't post the recipe yet unless anybody desperately requires it.

The pie was simple enough but a little time consuming making all the various components. I like a smokey flavour to a fish pie, but I couldn't get any undyed smoked haddock or cod so I plumped for lightly smoked salmon fillets. To the salmon I added some of the scallops and a small handful of raw prawns. I would have also liked to put in some Garden peas but the freezer disappointed me. I put a couple of soft boiled eggs in, then topped it with a simple bay leaf flavoured bechamel sauce and some soft mashed potato. It was really delicious and even more flavoursome when finished it off the next day. It made me wonder why I don't make them more often. The scallops were lovely and sweet and went so well with the smokiness of the fish. Thanks once again Nick Pledger from Island Seafare Ltd for the delicious scallops. 

Smoked Pancetta wrapped Scallops with broad beans and toasted ciabatta

This is the final recipe I made with the scallops. It's a really simple dish that can be a mid week treat as it's so quick to make. Smoked pancetta goes really well with the scallops and the crunch of the ciabatta gives a good contrast in texture.

Ingredients

Serves 2

Half a ciabatta loaf

two large handfuls of fresh salad leaves (watercress and rocket works well)

16 fresh queen scallops

a couple of handfuls of podded broad beans

8 rashers of smoked or ordinary pancetta

a tbsp of grated parmesan and parmesan shavings to garnish

A bay leaf

tbsp olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil 

Walnut oil (optional)

Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the broad beans in a pan of unsalted water and add the bay leaf. Bring to the boil and cook for about 20 minutes until tender. Immediately refresh under cold water to keep their colour, then slip them out of their skins. Cut the ciabatta into 1 inch chunks, put in a bowl with salt and pepper, tbsp of grated parmesan and tbsp of olive oil and mix to combine. Spread out on a baking sheet and put in the oven for five to ten minutes to go golden and crispy. Place the scallops in a bowl and season lightly and dress with a little olive oil. Take each rasher of pancetta and tear in half then wrap each scallop in a piece of pancetta and place on a baking sheet. Cook for about eight minutes until the pancettta is starting to crisp slightly. While the scallops are cooking, dress the salad leaves and broad beans with a little extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Take the ciabatta and scallops out of the oven. Place a handful of salad and broad beans on each plate then add the scallops and the ciabatta and drizzle with a little walnut oil and garnish with parmesan shavings. 

 

Scallop Triumph

I have made three dishes in all with my scallops now and have one more to go. I made a fish pie last night with some of them which was really tasty but the meal I did tonight was so simple and absolutely delicious I had to share it with you first. I think this one might be a contender for entering the competition in the Isle of Man Queenie festival. This scallop dish was lovingly created thanks to the generous donation from Island seafare Ltd.



Serves 2

Ingredients

For the skewers:

24 fresh queenie scallops

zest of one lime

olive oil

tsp of paprika

tsp cayenne pepper

salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

For the Guacamole:

1 ripe avocado, cut into bite size chunks

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

3 or 4 small vine ripened tomatoes, deseeded and cut into bite size chunks

zest and juice of 1 lime

a spring onion halved and cut into small chunks

salt and freshly ground black pepper

a small handful of fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

a drizzle of olive oil

 

For the flatbreads: 

255g self raising flour

1 tsbp of greek yoghurt

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

water

Begin by making the flatbreads. Put the flour, spices and seasoning into a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yoghurt, olive oil and a tbsp of water and begin to bring together. Keep adding water a little at a time until the dough comes together. Knead the dough for about five minutes on a floured surface until it becomes soft and elastic. Leave to one side. 

In a bowl add the scallops, lime zest and juice, paprika, cayenne pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning and mix to combine. Leave to marinade. 

To make the guacamole simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Light your BBQ and when the coals are glowing white and there is no flame left they are ready to use. Thread the scallops on to skewers.

Divide the dough into three and roll each bit out very thinly on a floured surface. Set each flatbread on the BBQ and allow to bubble up and brown lightly on each side, this should take about two or three minutes.



Set to one side and then place the scallops on the BBQ. Cook until nicely coloured all over and cooked through, then remove.



Immediately serve on the flatbreads with a spoonful of the guacamole and a little lightly dressed salad. And to drink, a chilled Pimms and lemonade. Lovely.