30 mins
Scallops à ma façon (Scallops - my way)
Recipe by Marie-Danielle
Scallops à ma façon (scallops - my way) are the perfect dish for entertaining. When I have guests, I want to spend the minimum amount of time possible in the kitchen. I therefore give preference to recipes where most of the preparation can be done before the guests' arrival, and where the last phase only takes a few minutes. Scallops are ideal for this purpose, since their cooking time is very short.
If you want to really save time when your guests are there, you can cook the rice before your guests arrive and heat it in the microwave when needed! Just place it in a bowl, cover with cling film and zap on full power for about 3 minutes
We often do this recipe using "Queenies" (Queen Scallops). These are the small scallops (about ¾" - 2cm across) that cook in about 1 minute (total). Allow about 5oz (140g) per person.
Savoury Pancakes (Crêpes) 
Scallops and Chorizo Ingredients for Scallops à ma façon (Scallops - my way)
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Scallops à ma façon (Scallops - my way)
- Remove the seeds from the peppers and slice them in narrow ribbons. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Sauté them all gently in olive oil in a large frying pan, stirring them from time to time until they become soft and translucent (about 10-15 minutes). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and put aside. Leave the olive oil and any juices in the frying pan.
- Meantime, mix the cream and the tomato purée in a bowl with a spoon. Set aside.
- Starting approximately 20 minutes before the estimated time of serving the dish, cook the rice in 3 times its volume of salted boiling water. If your rice is already cooked, begin to cook the scallops just 5 minutes before you need to serve the dish.
- Using the same frying pan that you used for the pepper, fry the scallops over a medium-high heat for 1 minute on each side. Pour in the brandy, allow to warm for a few seconds, than ignite it (be careful) and flame the scallops until the flames die down. Remove the scallops with a slotted spoon and set aside with the peppers.
- Pour the mixture of tomato purée and cream in the pan and use it to deglaze the pan (using a flat wooden spatula to scrape together the cooking juices that remain on the bottom of the pan). The cream must NOT be allowed to boil. As soon as the cream is warm and totally liquid, put the scallops and the peppers back in the pan and stir for a few seconds to mix.
- Serve immediately with the rice and a dry white wine (like a Chablis or Sancerre).
MARIE-DANIELLE'S HOT TIP:
The dish is nicer to the eye if the peppers are of different colours (green, red and yellow). I also use a mix of rice (e.g. white, wild and red), but a flavoured rice (basmati) is fine too.
Reviews of Scallops à ma façon (Scallops - my way)
 March 02 2021Really, really easy and very tasty. There's a little bit of preparation with the onion and peppers, but you expect that with a recipe. I used a tray of small scallops instead of the big ones, and cooked them just for about one minute. We all thoroughly enjoyed this and will be having it again soon. lacyB (2 reviews) |
 December 18 2014This recipe was excellent.The scallops were awesome and the sauce had a ton of flavor. Last night, I served it at a dinner party for 8. I doubled the quantities but would recommend making the recipe a little bigger. No one could get seconds. But what a great meal! EvelynWaughton (4 reviews) |
September 11 2013 This recipe is staggeringly good! It's waaaay above average, it's sensational, and so easy too. If I could give this 10, I would. Served over a bed of basmati rice, the whol family absolutely loved it. It's a keeper for sure. maddy (1 review) |
What To Eat Tonight
When the winter chill sets in, there's nothing like a plate of hot comfort to make you feel good about the world outside.
What do you do with the leftovers? There are so many really great ways to make use of them that your should never waste anything.
Just because it's healthy doesn't mean it needs to be boring and tasteless! Take a look at out healthy recipes for some great ideas.
Other Fish & Seafood Recipes
Here's a quick but sophisticated fish supper, packed full of fresh herbs and summer vegetables and perfect for entertaining guests.
Pan Fried Salmon with Spaghettini Pesto is a lovely simple meal that is full of flavour and has the added benefit of being very quick to prepare.
All sorts of myths appear to exist about these delightful creatures. Certainly, in some countries, they can be quite expensive.
