Never Throw Away Seafood Eggs: Turn Them Into a Premium Butter – Recipe

Outside the impressive beaches and dramatic shoreline, this island features a remarkable food culture, deeply grounded in its soil and sea. Starting with world-famous local new potatoes to shellfish more succulent and more tender than those tasted elsewhere, Jersey's harvest is unmatched. What excites many most, though, is how island farmers and producers are embracing sustainable farming, while in doing so reimagining their culinary destiny with creativity and dedication.

Last month, I was fortunate to lead a talk at an inspiring event, and cook a welcome meal for the participants, together with an inspiring founder. Naturally, scallops were a must on the spread, because they're the island at its best: delicate, juicy and singing of the ocean.

Scallops appear as the ultimate embodiment of Jersey's food future: sweet, full and restorative by design, purifying and refreshing the water while helping to create shoreline ecosystems. Both cultivated and, crucially, hand-harvested, they're one of the eco-friendliest proteins to eat. However even, who grew up on the island, don't eat their eggs – an often-seen affliction, unfortunately. All the more reason to celebrate those coral-pink tidbits, which are far too tasty to throw out. Whipped into a spread, they turn into sheer luxury: melt over scallops, stir into rice dishes or just slather on toasted slices.

They may be a bit expensive, though, so I've devised the following recipe to turn just one shellfish into a stunning starter (or three into a satiating main course) and, by whipping their roe into smoky spice butter and baking the scallops in their shells with small tomatoes and garlic, potential waste turns into a delicacy.

That same ethos of reinvention is central to the movement, which has launched an award offering support to innovators with backing, mentorship and access to a retail platform. Judged by a panel of respected food experts, the prize is to be presented during an forthcoming conference. This is focused on backing concepts that will help the agricultural networks thrive, from soil to sea, and there's no better a more exciting place for that conversation to begin than here.

Shellfish Baked in Egg Spread with Small Tomatoes and Garlic

Serves 6 as a appetizer or two as a main course

Six with eggs scallops in the half-shell
Eighteen cherry tomatoes, halved
6 garlic cloves, crushed
3 fresh red chillies (such as jalapeño), split lengthways, or one pinch chilli flakes, or to taste (if desired)
50 grams unsalted butter
One teaspoon paprika
Sea salt and pepper, to liking
Lemon slices, to serve
A little samphire, agretti or 6 tiny pickle slices, to decorate (optional)

Prepare the shellfish, detaching the roe from every and keeping the rest of the shellfish fixed to the shell (ask the fishmonger to handle this for you, if need be). Put six cherry tomato halves in each half-shell with the equivalent of crushed garlic and one half a red chilli, if added.

Transfer the eggs in the jug of an immersion blender (I find it's the best method for mixing tiny quantities), add the butter and spice, and blend smooth. Divide the mixture among the half-shells, making sure every shellfish is well covered in the butter.

Heat the grill until it's scorching hot, then place the shellfish under the flame for six to eight minutes, until blistered and sizzling. Serve immediately, topped with if desired sea vegetables, agretti, a slice of gherkin and/or a splash of the pickle juice or some lemon juice.