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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 22 MAY 2011 33 RECIPE OF THE WEEK THE soft f leshy texture and deli- cately mild, sweet f lavour make scallops a hit, even among those who are not particularly fond of fish and other seafood. Scallops are molluscs that have two beautiful convexly ridged, or scalloped, shells. They consist of two shells hinged at one end, which is why they are known to marine biologists as bi-valve molluscs. The edible portion of the scallop is the white muscle that opens and closes the two shells and is called the nut. It has a soft, f leshy texture and a delicate f lavor that may be mild or briny depending upon the variety. The coral, the reproductive glands, are also edible, although they are not widely consumed. Scallops come in two varieties, the smaller bay scallop that is widely available in the US and the larger sea scallop found abundantly throughout the Mediterranean. The trick to cooking perfect scal- lops is not to overcook them as they become dry and tough. Scallops can be steamed, fried or grilled but should be cooked gently and only for a very short time or their delicate f lavour and texture will be spoiled. Steam them in wine with aromatics as you would mussels, or wrap them in prosciutto and grill or fry for a few minutes. Scallops go well with Asian in- gredients: try pan-frying them in oil with ginger and fresh corian- der. They're also a good comple- ment to hearty f lavours such as bacon, chorizo, black pudding or watercress. Take care not to over- cook them: serve as soon as they are firm and opaque. You'll need about four to five king scallops per person for a main meal or about a dozen queen scallops. Do not add salt before cooking as this draws out the moisture and toughens the scallop. Scallops have been used for culi- nary purposes and decorative ones, due to their beautiful shells, since time immemorial. The great scal- lop gained great prestige during the medieval era. Pilgrims visiting the shrine of St. James in Spain began to use emp- ty scallop shells for both eating and begging. The scallop and its shell quickly became a symbol of this magnificent shrine with peo- ple using them to decorate their doorways as well as their coats of arms. In honour of the shrine, they were called the shell of St James, now best known by their trans- lated French name of Coquille St Jacques. Scallops are a very good source of vitamin B12, protein, and phos- phorus. In addition, scallops are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and potassium. Vita- min B12 has been known to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease including arrhythmia, high blood pressure and reducing the chances of heart attacks and strokes. The omega-3 fatty acids protect against Alzheimer's disease and age related cognitive decline. maltatoday, SUNDAY, 10 AUGUST 2014 FINE FOOD OF THE WEEK Scallops – Seafood with some meat Ingredients 500g sea scallops • 500g uncured bacon • 2 garlic cloves pressed • 4 tbsp butter • 1/3 cup bone broth • chicken dash of cayenne • pepper Method 1. Cut bacon strips in half. 2. Rinse scallops. 3. Wrap bacon around each scallop and secure with toothpick. 4. Place on baking sheet. 5. Place under the grill for 3-5 mins. 6. In a small skillet melt butter and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 2 mins. 7. Add broth and bring to a boil for a minute or two. 8. Add the cayenne pepper. 9. Serve scallops hot and drizzle with broth. Bacon-wrapped scallops FOOD