Conchitas a la Parmesana

Conchitas a la Parmesana

A beloved Peruvian seafood starter of scallops baked in their shells under a golden crust of Parmesan and butter, finished with lemon. Simple, elegant, and best eaten straight from the shell.

Prep

15 min

Cook

8 min

Total

23 min

Serves

4 (2 scallops per person, 8 shells total)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •8 whole fresh scallops in the shell, about 60–70 g meat each; ask your fishmonger to keep the shells intact and clean them of sand
• •80 g (3 oz) Parmesan cheese, finely grated; real Parmigiano-Reggiano preferred, or a good-quality aged Peruvian parmesan
• •60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• •2 tbsp (30 ml) dry white wine, a crisp Peruvian white such as a Torontel or any dry table wine
• •1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice, plus extra lemon wedges for serving
• •salt, ½, or to taste, go easy as the Parmesan is salty
• •white pepper, ¼, or freshly ground black pepper
• •1 tbsp (15 ml) panko or fine breadcrumbs, optional, for extra crunch; traditional versions often skip it

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the scallops under cold running water, removing any grit, sand, or bits of membrane. Pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. If using live scallops, shuck them, reserving the clean half-shells.
2. 2 Safety note: if the scallops will be served raw or barely cooked, freeze them first for parasite destruction: freeze at -20°C (-4°F) for at least 7 days (or -35°C/-31°F for 15 hours) before use. This recipe cooks them, but freezing beforehand is still recommended for safety.
3. 3 Preheat your oven's broiler (grill) to high, with a rack positioned about 15 cm (6 inches) from the element. Line a baking sheet with foil.
4. 4 Arrange the shells on the baking sheet. Place one scallop in the centre of each shell.
5. 5 In a small bowl, mash together the softened butter, lemon juice, white wine, salt, and white pepper until smooth.
6. 6 Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the butter mixture over each scallop.
7. 7 Sprinkle each scallop generously with grated Parmesan (about 10 g / ¾ oz per scallop), covering it completely. If using breadcrumbs, scatter a pinch over the cheese.
8. 8 Dot the top of each with a tiny bit of the remaining butter.
9. 9 Broil for 3–5 minutes, watching constantly, until the butter is bubbling and the cheese has melted and turned golden brown in spots. The scallops should be just opaque and firm to the touch but still tender - internal temperature of at least 63°C (145°F) if you prefer them fully cooked; many Peruvilians like them barely set, in which case pull them at 50–55°C (122–131°F) for a softer, sweeter texture.
10. 10 Remove from the oven and let rest 1 minute - the shells will be extremely hot.
11. 11 Serve immediately on a plate or in a shallow bowl with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing at the table.