Chef Karen Dar Woon’s Cured and Baked Great Bear Scallops

My friend and fellow Les Dames d’Escoffier member, Karen Dar Woon,  Your Secret Chef,  and I had some fun with freshly harvested Great Bear Scallops from Coastal Shellfish. Dar Woon designed a recipe for both cured and baked (or BBQ’d) and I helped shuck, an entirely new experience for me. These scallops are fabulous and pretty much the tastiest thing I’ve tried this summer.

Is Coastal Shellfish First Nations–owned?
– Yes, the Coastal First Nations created Coastal Shellfish to help achieve their goals of economic self-sufficiency and sustainable jobs. Our majority owner is the Metlakatla Nation whose traditional territory is where Coastal Shellfish’s operations are located.

Do farmed scallops have to be fed?
– Only in the hatchery where we produce our own microalgae to feed the scallops during the first 2 months of their life cycle. For the remaining 20 months while the scallops are in their natural ocean environment they are feeding on the natural algae and plankton in the ocean currents.

Can I view updates on the scallop farming process?
– Absolutely! For the latest information and to view the progress, check us out on Instagram by following GreatBearScallops.

Cured Scallops

Thank you to Chef Quang Dang for the inspiration (Vancouver Cooks 2!, Douglas & McIntyre 2009)

zest of 1/2 lime
zest of small lemon
zest of 1/2 small orange
1/4 c. salt
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp finely ground black pepper.
8 scallops, cleaned & trimmed (i.e., 2 per portion)
1. Mix the dry ingredients.
2. Slice the scallops crosswise into coins approx 1/4” thick; maybe 3 slices per scallop.
3. Toss in the scallops and set aside to cure: fridge 3 hrs, or room temp 1 hrs. The fridge is a better option if room temp is above 20º.
4. Remove the scallops from the cure and brush/shake off the excess.

PLATE WITH
Thinly shave 1 cucumber, sliced green onion
1 tbsp finely chopped salted preserved lemon
or grated lemon zest + 1/2 tsp salt
juice of small lemon
1 tsp chopped tarragon
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp EVOO
Combine the preserved lemon (or lemon zest & salt), lemon juice, tarragon, sugar and olive oil. Stir in the cucumber and green onion.

Baked Scallops

Preheat oven to 375ºF

For each scallop, you’ll need
breadcrumbs 2 TBSP
butter, about 1/2 tsp
chopped shallot, 1 tsp
heavy cream 1 TBSP
white wine redux 1 TBSP
salt, pepper, kelp powder (optional but tasty)
oil for brushing inside shells (olive oil, canola, grapeseed)
chopped chives

1. Toast the breadcrumbs (1-2 tbsp per scallop) in a small pan, then add butter to flavour. Season w/ black pepper, kelp powder, and set aside.
2. Shuck the scallops, loosen from the shell, but keep the apron & roe. Rinse in cold water then set aside.
3. Find the shells which will sit flat, and arrange on baking sheet. Use a small pile of salt to hold in place if necessary. Brush the inside of each shell with a bit of oil.
4. Place 1 scallop in each shell.
5. Add… 1 tsp chopped shallot, 1 or 2 tbsp each of the cream and wine reduction. Small dab of butter (1/2 – 1 tsp?) and season with salt and pepper. Top with buttered crumbs.
6. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. top with chopped chives
To cook on a grill: preheat closed grill to 375-400ºF. Place the filled scallop shells directly on the grill, and cook for about 10-15 minutes with the lid closed.

Giant Kelp Powder is from northpacifickelp.com who vend at Vancouver Farmers’ Markets or Vegan Supply.

Looking for some good wine pairings, Vinho Verde wine from Portugal work very well as did the TH Wines Rose.