Don't Throw Away Seafood Eggs: Turn It To a Premium Spread – Guide

Apart from the stunning shores and wild shoreline, this island boasts a remarkable food culture, firmly grounded in both land and ocean. Starting with world-famous Jersey Royal new potatoes to shellfish sweeter and softer than any tasted elsewhere, Jersey's bounty is unmatched. What thrills many above all, however, is how island producers and producers are embracing sustainable agriculture, and thereby reimagining the island's culinary destiny with creativity and care.

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to lead a discussion at a gathering, and prepare a welcome dinner for all participants, together with a inspiring founder. Of course, scallops had to be on my spread, because they represent the island at their best: delicate, juicy and bursting of the sea.

These mollusks appear as the ultimate symbol of the island's food future: sweet, full and restorative by design, filtering and cleaning the water while contributing to build shoreline ecosystems. Whether farmed and, importantly, diver-caught, they are one of the most sustainable proteins we can eat. Yet many, those grew up on the island, don't eat their eggs – a common habit, unfortunately. Even more justification to celebrate these rosy tidbits, that are much too delicious to discard. Whipped into butter, they become pure luxury: melt over the shellfish, stir into risotto or simply spread on toasted bread.

Scallops may be a bit expensive, however, so I have created this method to turn just one scallop into an impressive starter (or a few into a satisfying entree) and, by whipping their roe into smoky spice butter and roasting them in their shells with small tomatoes and crushed garlic, unused parts turns into a luxury.

That same spirit of reinvention is at the heart of this approach, that introduced a prize providing support to food pioneers with backing, mentorship and entry to a marketplace. Judged by some of respected culinary experts, the prize is to be awarded during an upcoming conference. It's about backing concepts that can assist our food systems thrive, from soil to sea, and I can't think of a more exciting place for this dialogue to start than here.

Scallops Baked in Roe Butter with Cherry Tomatoes and Crushed Garlic

Yields 6 as a appetizer or two as a main course

Six roe-on scallops in the shell
18 small tomatoes, halved
6 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 whole chili peppers (eg jalapeno), split lengthways, or 1 pinch chilli flakes, or to taste (if desired)
50 grams unsalted butter
1 tsp paprika
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Lemon wedges, to serve
Some sea asparagus, agretti or six tiny pickle slices, to decorate (if using)

Clean the shellfish, detaching the eggs from every and keeping the remaining part of the scallop fixed to the shell (request the fishmonger to do this for you, if necessary). Put 6 cherry tomato halves in each shell with a clove's worth of crushed garlic cloves and half a chili pepper, if using.

Put the scallop roes in a container of a hand blender (I find this is the most effective tool for mixing small amounts), add the spread and spice, and blitz until creamy. Divide the mixture between the shells, making sure each shellfish is well coated in the spread.

Preheat the grill until it's very hot, then place the scallops under the heat for 6-8 minutes, until charred and bubbling. Present immediately, topped with if desired samphire, herbs, a piece of pickle and/or a drizzle of the pickle juice or a bit of lemon juice.