Scallop mornay remains a firm favourite.
THE queen of seafood is for me the beautiful scallop – I love them any way they come. I first had scallop mornay in Melbourne and have since been to the festival of the same name in Whitianga each September, where I’ve enjoyed them fresh from the local beds and cooked by some of New Zealand’s best. This mornay recipe remains my favourite, tweaked as it has been across the years. A secret to the success of it is to use white pepper and to not be shy in the use of it. I love the rich velvetiness the cream brings to this dish, if you like it a bit less so, increase the milk ratio, as long as it isn’t higher than a third of the cream total. You can also use a combination of tasty or gruyere cheese and add a small amount of parmesan for a bit of bite. The herbed breadcrumbs I like to use are Gregg’s Homestyle. As with all seafood, don’t overcook – the meat of the scallop should be just done and 10 minutes is ample time. I usually look to the colouring of the cheese, or the bubbling of the sauce (whichever is first, as the indicator IT IS DONE).
Ingredients 30gms butter 220ml cream 50ml milk 2 tbsp flour 1 minced clove garlic 1/3 C white wine 1 raised tsp tarragon Salt and pepper to taste 16-18 large scallops, with roe attached 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped ½ C tasty cheese ¾ C herbed breadcrumbs
Method Preheat oven to 200C at fanbake. Melt the butter in a small pot, add the garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes before adding in the flour and whisking quickly. Slowly add the milk, until smooth, then add cream and wine, whisk until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, add the tarragon and stir in. Place scallops into about eight buttered scallop shells if you have them, or a shallow, buttered dish. Mix together the breadcrumbs and cheese. Spoon the sauce evenly across the scallops, and sprinkle the crumb mix over the top. Bake for 10 minutes until the sauce is bubbling, sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
