Mark Hix shares baked scallops with herb crust recipe

Mark Hix, a restaurateur and writer based in Dorset, has provided a recipe for baked scallops with a herb crust that he says is his favourite way to cook scallops at home. Hix recalls growing up in West Bay, Dorset, eating queen scallop meat as a child, and describes how local scallop fishing has changed: queenies are less viable to fish, divers now mainly harvest king scallops out of Lyme Regis, and two dive boats operated by Jon Shuker and Ali Day have become prominent.

He says those boats have been trying an experimental pot method called “disco scallops,” using flashing lights to lure scallops; Hix says the method won the innovation award at the BBC Food & Farming awards and that he supports it in principle, while noting the experiment’s outcome is yet to be seen.

The recipe serves four and calls for 12 scallops on the half-shell, flaky sea salt and black pepper, 80g butter, two finely chopped shallots, four grated garlic cloves, 100g fresh white breadcrumbs and three tablespoons of chopped soft herbs such as parsley, chives, tarragon or chervil.

Hix instructs preheating the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7, seasoning the scallops, sweating shallots and garlic in melted butter, stirring in breadcrumbs and herbs off the heat, spooning the mixture over the scallops and baking for six to eight minutes until golden. He advises serving immediately, ideally with a glass of something crisp and white.

Key Topics

Culture, Mark Hix, West Bay, Dorset, Lyme Regis, Disco Scallops