For we lucky East Enders bay scallop season is still in full swing. Sweet, fresh, innocent and tender, get 'em while you can folks. Freshly shucked with a pinch of salt and a dribble of citrus is a great way to go. But why stop there? Time to start thinking about using these cuties in more substantial preparations, adding a little heft. Why not go for a peppy array of varied scallop gratin recipes on a theme? Something elegant and cozy at the same time.
So I turned to James Peterson's invaluable book Fish and Shellfish — and our Scallopalooza was off and running.
This play list for Scallopalooza employed a quart of shucked bays and a nice pile of half shells to hold them and the rich embellishments that lay ahead.
J.P. kicked off the feast with his recipes for gratins with mushrooms; spinach with saffron cream, and smoked salmon in balsamic vinaigrette.
I revived summer's miso clam topping and gave this treatment to a portion of the catch. And, as we had some really tasty roasted cauliflower in the fridge from the previous night, the final delicacy combined that with Gruyère.
Peterson's recipes call for one scallop per shell. But now that the weather's turned cold, the sky is grey and wet winds blow, abundance seemed more appropriate than austerity. That's how we ended up nestling two or three scallops into each shell.
What's the deal with the hodge-podge of shells on the broiling tray you may well ask? Rather than following mundane recommendations for rock salt or crumbled aluminum foil to hold the shells steady, we went rogue. Sammy's Beach, just up the street, is reliably heaped with drifts and dunes of sea-scoured whelk shells. Scooping up handfuls is effortless and the Neptune's Delight presentation is showy. And sustainable!
Making five toppings might seem daunting but each is such a small quantity that it goes very quickly. Prepare a bit in advance and when time to serve compose the half-shells and run them under a hot broiler for a couple of minutes until you're absolutely delighted with the ways things look. Serve immediately. The bubbling and crisped toppings blanket the moist scallops which are just heated through. Sure beats cooking the hell out of them.
Using the quart of scallops and the toppings (click here for the recipes) I made three shells of each. It would be easy enough to adjust the servings depending on the number of guests, and whether they're to be tantalizing starter or comprise a proper course.
Peterson's Gratin of Scallops with Mushrooms is the first one shown above.
Next is his Gratin of Scallops with Spinach and Saffron Cream — the color is borderline psychedelic! Positively oozing glamour and deliciousness.
Next is J.P.'s Smoked Salmon in Balsamic Vinaigrette. I had my doubts about this combo but it's completely splendid. James, forgive my lack of faith.
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The Gratin of Scallops with Miso Butter Crust is butter, white miso paste, panko. The succulent results belie the simplicity of the sum of the parts.
The Gratin of Scallops with Roasted Cauliflower and Gruyère. We still had lemon thyme growing (hardy stuff, that) which was the perfect micro-garnish.
It is the snazzy contrasts that make a Scallopalooza an enormously appealing event. The preparations here have flavors running up and down and around the taste spectrum. When you give it a go, experimentation is encouraged. Own it!
Click here for the recipes for Five Gratins of Scallops.