Name: Scallop shell pies
Total time: 55 min
Yield: Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients: 35g unsalted butter; 1 leek, white only, finely chopped; 1 medium carrot, finely shredded; 1 clove garlic, bashed; a few sprigs thyme, leaves picked; 150ml white wine; 150ml double cream; 8 scallops, cleaned, roe removed and 4 shells reserved; 500g block ready-made puff pastry, plus flour for dusting; 1 egg, beaten; 4 tbsp rock salt

35g unsalted butter
1 leek
white only, finely chopped
1 medium carrot
finely shredded
1 clove garlic
bashed
a few sprigs thyme
leaves picked
150ml white wine
150ml double cream
8 scallops
cleaned, roe removed and 4 shells reserved
500g block ready-made puff pastry
plus flour for dusting
1 egg
beaten
4 tbsp rock salt

Method

step 1
Heat the butter in a pan and gently cook the leek with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until soft. Add the carrot, garlic and thyme, and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and reduce to a 1/3. Add the cream and bubble until thick. Season, remove the garlic clove, and cool.
step 2
Cut each scallop in half horizontally and divide between the 4 shells. Spoon over some of the sauce.
step 3
Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured worksurface to the thickness of a £1 coin. Cut roughly to cover each shell, drape over and then trim neatly to fit. Press at the edges to seal tightly. Use the back of a knife to gently make long marks along the pastry, imitating a scallop shell. Brush with beaten egg and chill for 30 minutes.
step 4
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Put 4 piles of rock salt onto a baking tray and nestle a filled scallop shell into each – this will stop them from toppling in the oven. Brush the shells with more beaten egg then put into the oven for 20 minutes until the pastry is risen and golden.