Mussels and clams are very much in season at the moment and Derry Clarke is using one of his delicious recipes to show you the best way to enjoy them.
Ingredients
- 16 large scallops (orange coral & membrane removed)
- 1 tblsp sunflower oil
- salt & freshly ground white pepper
- for the mussel & clam orzo:
- 150 g orzo pasta
- 8 mussels (washed & debearded)
- 8 clams (washed)
- 1 shallot (diced)
- 1 clove garlic (peeled & crushed)
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 crushed peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tblsp white wine
- salt & freshly ground white pepper
- for the sweet corn & chervil sabayon:
- 100 g sweet corn (cooked in salted boiling water for 1-1 ½ minutes, drained & refreshed)
- 4 medium egg yolks
- 60 ml water
- 10 g chervil (finely chopped)
- salt & freshly ground white pepper
Method
- For the mussel & clam orzo:
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil & cook the orzo for 10 minutes, drain & set aside
- Heat a heavy bottomed saucepan until very hot
- Add the mussels, clams and all other ingredients except the wine
- Cook for 1 minute before the wine & covering with a lid
- Check after 2 minutes to see if all the shellfish have opened, discard any unopened ones
- Remove meat from shells and transfer mussels & clams to a bowl, add the cooked orzo, and then add the seasoning.
- For the sweet corn & chervil sabayon:
- Place the egg yolks & water in a heat proof bowl & set it over a pot of simmering water
- Whisk with a balloon whisk until it doubles in size & is pale & creamy
- Add the chopped chervil & gently fold through the cooked sweet corn
- Season with the salt & freshly ground white pepper
- For the seared scallops:
- Heat a frying pan until hot, heat the sunflower oil & sear the scallops for 1-1 ½ minutes either side turning with a tongs
- Season & serve
- To serve:
- Spoon the mussels & clam orzo onto the centre of each of 4 warmed plates. Arrange the seared scallops about the orzo; finally drizzle over the sweet corn & chervil sabayon.
Notes
When cooking the scallops, make sure the pan is very hot with a drop of oil. Make sure the mussels & clams are all open; discard all the ones that are closed. If your sabayon splits, don’t panic, add a tiny drop of warm water. Instead of chervil you can use coriander or flat leaf parsley. Use fresh scallops if you can. Don’t overcook the scallops as they will be tough & dry.
