4Medium scallopsshucked, cleaned, shells reserved and cleaned
10gramsUnsalted butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150gramsPuff pastry, cut into strips 2cmx30cm
1Free-range eggbeaten
To Garnish
Maldon rock salt
Sea purslane
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6
To make the butter simply mix all the ingredient together and adjust the seasoning to your preference
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve
Taste and adjust the seasoning if required
Set aside
Brush the scallops all over with the softened butter and season with salt and pepper
Spoon the butter onto four bottom halves of the shells, and place a scallop on top
Season with the salt and pepper, place the other half of the shell on top of each scallop, and wrap each puff pastry strip carefully right around the gap where the shells meet
The seal is important as it will lock in all the juices and flavour as the scallop coo.
The scallop will steam in the shell, cooking very gently and evenly
If the seal is not tight enough then the heat from the oven will enter the shell and overcook the it
Brush the pastry and top of the shell with the beaten egg
Place the scallops onto a baking tray, standing each one on a ring of scrunched foil to keep them level, and cook in the oven for 10 minutes
Serve on a bed of Maldon rock salt and sea purslane