Using Scallop Shells

Our answer

If you have already cooked with the scallop shells then it is possible to re-use them for dishes such as Nigella's Scallops On The Shell as it is usually easier to buy scallops out of their shells in supermarkets and fishmongers and some people have trouble sourcing the shells. The shells can also make attractive serving dishes for nibbles, such as Nigella's Bar Nuts.

The shells should be scrubbed with hot soapy water after each use then rinsed thoroughly with hot water and dried. If they are commercially produced and ready for cooking then they would not usually need to be disinfected before the first use, though please check any guidelines that come with the scallops. Some people also suggest the shells can be cleaned in a dishwasher, though this is not something that we have tried ourselves.