Seasalt Nourish: Jack Stein’s Christmas Day Scallops with Truffle Butter
The perfect festive starter, this buttery seafood recipe from Jack Stein is as easy to make as it is delicious.
As part of our Christmas competition, A Cornish Advent, chef and Seasalt Friend Jack Stein shares his recipe for a light but luxurious starter that’s perfect for your Christmas Day menu.
Full of flavour and easy to make, we like to prepare the truffle butter in advance giving us extra time on the day to spend with friends, family and loved ones.
Follow Jack’s steps below to give it a go for yourself and visit our Instagram or Facebook for your chance to win a festive feast courtesy of Rick and Jack Stein.
Scallops with truffle butter | Jack Stein
“I love cooking scallops in the shell; the roasting aromas that emanate from the baking shells just sing out and capture memories of beach barbecues. This recipe is the perfect starter for a special meal at home.
If you are lucky enough to have some fresh truffle to hand simply substitute 200g of ordinary butter for the truffle butter, then shave the fresh truffle on top of the cooked scallops.”
Ingredients
- 12 scallops in their shells
- A pinch of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter
For the truffle butter
- 200g unsalted butter, softened, at room temperature
- A large pinch of salt
- 10g truffle paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
To serve
- A handful of chopped chives, thinly sliced
- A handful of crispy shallots
- 45g black truffle (optional)
Method
1. First make the truffle butter. Mix all the ingredients together in a mixer fitted with the beater attachment, or you could do it with a hand mixer. Roll the butter into a sausage shape and chill until firm (or freeze it if you want it to last a while). This recipe will make more than you need, so freeze any leftovers.
2. Preheat the grill to high and the oven to 220°C Fan (240ºC).
3. When you are ready to serve, cut twelve 1cm slices of the truffle butter and set aside. Place the scallops on a baking tray, season with salt and drizzle a little clarified butter on top. Grill for 2 minutes, then remove and place a slice of the chilled truffle butter on top of each scallop. Bake in the oven for a further minute until cooked (the scallops should be opaque and slightly browned).
4. Place 3 scallops on each plate. Sprinkle over the chives and crispy shallots and top with the shaved truffle, if using.
Recipe from Jack Stein’s World on a Plate, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018. Photos by Paul Winch-Furness.
Share your creations with us on social media by tagging @SeasaltCornwall and using the hashtag #SeasaltNourish.
For your chance to win a delicious Stein’s At Home festive feast, enter our Christmas competition, A Cornish Advent, on our Instagram or Facebook.
