Scallop pies in their shells

This is a scallop, cooked in its own shell with a pastry lid for a miniature scallop pie. Adapted from Tom Kitchen’s recipe for scallops in the shell, mainly because I only had half of the scallop shells with a couple of other adjustments according to the ingredients I had.

Here’s how to make them:

Ingredients

White wine sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 110g shallots
• 250ml white wine
• 250ml fish stock
• 250ml double cream
• ½ tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• salt and pepper

Scallops

• 8 scallops in their shells
• 1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 leek, trimmed, sliced
• 1 pack of ready-made puff pastry
• 1 egg

Method

Preheat oven to 200C and then start with the white wine sauce:

• Heat a heavy-based pan over a medium heat, with the olive oil
• Add the shallots and fry gently for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
• Add the white wine and fish stock and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering, then continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced and the sauce resembles syrup.

While you’re waiting the 15-20 minutes for the white wine sauce to simmer, you can use your time well by preparing the filling for the pies:

• thinly slice a leek and carrot and fry them over a medium heat in a pan with a little oil (3-4 minutes)
• clean all bits of the actual scallop, discarding the coral part, and cut each scallop in half
• Cut the puff pastry lids for the pies to size and brush with a little water

Back to the sauce:

• Add the cream, bring to the boil again and then simmer for a further 6-8 minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced by about half and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the mustard and chopped dill.

Once the sauce is done you can assemble your pies.

• Start with some carrot and leeks at the bottom
• Place 2 or 3 pieces of scallop on top (either 1 or 1.5 scallops per shell)
• Add as much white wine sauce as fits
• Place the lid over the top and fold over the sides of the shell
• Brush the pastry with a beaten egg

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and serve.