This was one of the first dishes I made when starting out as a chef. It’s a classic way to cook scallops and one of the best.

Ingredients: Serves 2 -4

4-8 scallops – diver-caught if possible

Scallop shells (cleaned – if diver caught)

1 x shallot – finely diced

2 x cloves garlic – peeled & crushed

4 x knobs butter

120ml white wine

150ml double cream

100g Parmesan

100g breadcrumbs

Handful of chopped parsley

Salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

Method:

Pre-heat grill to medium heat.

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan on a medium heat. In another pan gently warm your milk and cream.

Add the shallots and garlic to the butter and cook until soft. Add the wine and reduce down to a glaze.

Next pour in the cream and half the Parmesan cheese. Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.

In a non-stick pan heat a small amount of olive on a medium heat. Lightly season the scallops with salt and lay into the pan on their flat side one by one.

Cook gently on one side for around 1 minute then turn over onto the other side. Remove from the pan and place back into a clean shell or a heat proof dish.

Stir in the parsley to the sauce along with a twist of black pepper. Even this out over the scallops and finish by topping with the parmesan and breadcrumbs.

Gently finish the dish under the grill until golden brown – alternatively these can also be done in the oven.