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35 THE soft fleshy texture and deli- cately mild, sweet flavour make scallops a hit, even among those who are not particularly fond of fish and other seafood. Scallops are mollusks 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 mol- lusks. The edible portion of the scal- lop is the white muscle that opens and closes the two shells and is called the nut. It has a soft, fleshy texture and a delicate flavour that may be mild or briny depending upon the variety. The coral, the reproductive glands, are also ed- ible, 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 abundant- ly throughout the Mediterranean. The trick to cooking perfect scal- lops is not to overcook them as they become dry and tough. Scal- lops can be steamed, fried or grilled but should be cooked gently and only for a very short time or their delicate flavour 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 flavours 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 culinary purposes and decora- tive ones, due to their beautiful shells, since time immemorial. The great scallop gained great prestige during the medieval era. Pilgrims visiting the shrine of St James in Spain began to use empty scallop shells for both eat- ing and begging. The scallop and its shell quickly became a symbol of this magnificent shrine with people 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 translated French name of Coquille St Jacques. Scallops are a very good source of vitamin B12, protein, and phosphorus. In addition, scal- lops are a good source of ome- ga-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and potassium. Vitamin B12 has been known to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular dis- ease including arrhythmia, high blood pressure and reducing the chances of heart attacks and strokes. The omega-3 fatty acids protect against Alzheimer's dis- ease and age-related cognitive decline. maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2017 Fine food of the week Food Ingredients • ¼ cup olive oil • 8 tomatoes • 4 spring onions, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, minced • 2 small avocados • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced • 2-3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped • ½ a small green cabbage, sliced • ½ a small red cabbage, sliced • ½ cup sour cream • 3 tbsp heavy cream • ½ tsp cumin • Salt • 500g scallops, rinsed and dried • 6-8 tortillas Method 1. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté tomatoes, a third of the spring onion, and garlic for 5-10 min- utes until softened. Remove from heat and chill. 2. Dice avocados and add lime juice, tossing to coat. 3. Add avocado along with jalapeño, remaining spring onion, and cori- ander to the tomato mixture. Stir to combine. 4. Place sliced cabbage in a medium mixing bowl. 5. Mix sour cream with heavy cream in a small bowl. 6. Drizzle cream over cabbage, tossing to coat. Add cumin and salt to taste. Mix well. 7. In a large sauté pan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallops and sear for two minutes, turning after one minute to sear the other sides. Remove from heat. 8. To assemble tacos, heat a tortilla in a dry pan (optional). 9. Place a few spoonfuls of slaw in the centre of a tortilla. Add a spoonful of salsa verde. 10. Add 6-10 scallops (depending on size) and another spoonful of salsa verde. 11. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Serve warm. Recipe of the week Scallop tacos with salsa verde Scallops – Seafood with some meat