Lime, coriander and chilli baked scallops

In this dish the scallops are cooked in their own shells (the bottom half).  Their flavours are enhanced by lime, ginger, coriander and chilli – a wonderful combination.

This dish makes an excellent starter for a gastronomic dinner.

The shells provide an impressive presentation.  The buttery juices should be slurped from the shells.

Preparation Time: 10 Mins

Cooking Time: 3 Mins

Total Time: 15 Mins

Ingredients

For 2 servings…

                     Coriander  - fresh     

4                    Scallops  - wine bottom shells  

60 gms            Butter       

1                    Chilli  - chopped      

2½ cm             Ginger  - chopped finely         

1                    Lime         

                     Pepper  - freshly ground, black 

Method

Place two coriander leaves in each bottom scallop shell and then place the scallops on top.

Heat an oven to 230°C.

Mash the butter in a bowl and mix in with it half the chilli, all the ginger and the grated zest of the lime.  Put a heaped teaspoonful of the mixture on to each scallop.

Put the scallop shells on to a baking tray.  Put the tray in the oven and cook for three minutes until the butter is bubbling,

Remove the scallops from the oven, season them with a pinch of chilli, pepper, a squeeze of lime juice and one to two more coriander leaves.

Serve immediately.

Variations

If the scallops have not come in their shells and no shells are available, then cook and present the scallops in ramekins.

Wine recommendations

An aromatic white wine.

Conventional

     Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur lie

Interesting

     Côtes de Gascogne blanc

     Entre-deux-Mers

     Lirac blanc

     Picpoul de Pinet

Adventurous

     Manzanilla Sherry