This recipe is fast, scrumptious, and spectacular as an appetizer or amuse-bouche. You can even serve it as a part of a seafood antipasti unfold. Alongside the Venetian coast, eating places serve numerous seafood dishes baked below a crispy crust of breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, and olive oil. As with most Italian delicacies, success is dependent upon high-quality elements and exact preparation. The crust have to be golden brown and crispy, whereas the scallop ought to be simply cooked by way of—tender and juicy fairly than dry and rubbery.
I like to recommend working towards this dish earlier than serving it at a cocktail party. The important thing variables are the scale of the scallops, the moisture degree of the breadcrumbs, the oven temperature, and the timing. Each oven behaves otherwise, and outcomes might range relying on whether or not the oven was simply preheated or has been operating for hours. If you’re getting ready these alongside gratinated mussels, a secret tip is to make use of the liquor launched by the mussels to moisten the scallop breadcrumbs.
For the very best taste and texture, purchase contemporary scallops within the shell and shuck them your self. Pre-shucked scallops are sometimes frozen or brined, which compromises their high quality; yow will discover extra particulars on searching for scallops in this text. Shucking them your self additionally lets you make a fast inventory from the skirt to make use of because the moistening liquid. Moreover, the shells present an ideal, albeit barely old-school, serving vessel that makes for a extra spectacular presentation.
Elements
For 4 servings
- 4 scallops
- 2 Tbsp dried breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp minced contemporary flat leaf parsley
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 Tbsp further virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly floor black pepper
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 225°C/440°F. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of dried breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon of minced parsley, 1 minced clove of garlic, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and freshly floor black pepper, then add simply sufficient liquid—water, scallop liquor, or mussel liquor—to make the combination moist however not moist. It’s best to start out with much less liquid than you suppose you want, as you’ll be able to at all times add extra; if the combination turns into too moist, merely stir in additional breadcrumbs.
Prepare the scallops on a baking sheet, both of their shells or on parchment paper. Cowl the highest of every scallop utterly with a skinny layer of the breadcrumb combination. For medium-sized scallops, this amount of topping ought to be precisely sufficient.
Bake at 225°C/440°F for about 10 minutes till the tops are golden brown. If the scallops are undercooked when the topping is prepared, decrease the oven temperature subsequent time to permit extra cooking time earlier than browning. If they’re overcooked, improve the temperature subsequent time to brown the crust quicker.
Observe that timing and temperature might require adjustment based mostly in your particular oven and the scale of the scallops. The quantity of meals within the oven additionally issues, as a crowded oven creates extra humidity and slows down the browning course of. Serve instantly to make sure the breading stays completely crispy.
