What a load of Scallops

Living close to the sea or rather next to the sea, practically in the sea and for all of the summer on the sea; one of the things we are never short of is fresh seafood. You will know that I put both lobster and prawn traps out, you will understand that we are well blessed with fish to eat and you will recognise that a healthy network into the local commercial fishermen brings foody rewards. Our only problem is one of time because in mid summer after 12 hours at sea I simply can't face gutting, preping and cooking more fish.

At this time of year things are very different and with a office full of to do's its a welcome relief to go hunting and then spend time preparing, fresh sea food. My latest great get was this batch of 30 odd scallops. I'm indebted to local fishermen Len for these splendid shells. He was kind enough to keep some from a fresh batch ready to go off to market that day and then charge me a very fair price. I was salivating as I collected them, more worked up still as I journeyed home, listening to the beasties flapping in the back.

There is only one way to treat live scallops and that is to sashimi them. The Japanese consume more sea food per head of population than any other country in the world. And the vast majority of the fish they eat is eaten sashimi...So many Japanese can not be wrong and they are not.

I am told that it takes as long to train as a sashimi chef in the Japan as it does to train to be a doctor here. Boy do they take their raw fish seriously! I can't possibly compete with such skills, so for me its dive in, shuck the scallops out and go for it. Shucking out scallops is not all that difficult, doing it well and without waste takes practice. I'm ok at it and what I do leave behind on the shell I scrape off with a spoon to pan fry. Once a scallop muscle is in your hand wash it well before drying it in a piece of kitchen paper. Then with a samurai sharp blade hold the meat on its side and slice it at least three times. Suddenly you now have three thinnish rounds of scallop. If you are lucky the muscle will still perceptively shimmer.

Waste no time now. Grap the rounds with chop sticks (well you have to be authentic), dip in slightly vinegared soy. I like Kikkoman's sashimi soy, dab with the best wasabi you can find, lob a round into your mouth and enter food heaven.

I can honestly say this is one of my top foody things to eat. Sashimi scallop and sashimi tuna would be both be in my top 10. Correction top 5, yes they are that good.