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For the crumb
- 50
(2oz) fresh white breadcrumbs
- 25
(1oz) butter, melted
- 3
thyme sprigs, leaved picked
finely grated zest 1/2 lemon
- Step 1
Prepare the scallops: peel off and discard the tough white muscle from each scallop (if present). Pat scallops dry with kitchen paper. Set aside.
- Step 2
To make the sauce, melt butter in a medium pan. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 30sec. Take off heat and gradually stir in stock to make a smooth sauce. Return to heat and cook, stirring, until thickened (the mixture will need to bubble). Take off heat, stir in the cream and yolks and check the seasoning. Set aside.
- Step 3
In a small bowl, mix together crumb ingredients with some seasoning.
- Step 4
Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Arrange three scallops in each shell, then sit shells on a large baking tray (see GH Tips). Spoon over the sauce and top with the crumbs.
- Step 5
Cook in the oven for 15-17min or until golden and bubbling. Serve immediately.
GET AHEAD Complete steps 1 and 3 up to 4hr ahead. Keep scallops and crumb separate, covered, in fridge. Complete recipe to serve.
Before use, wash scallop shells in hot soapy water. Next, put into a pan of boiling water and bubble for 5min to sterilise.
Shells will need to sit level on the tray to prevent the sauce leaking. Use scrunched-up foil to help stabilise them, if needed.
Per Serving:
- Calories: 243
- Fibre: 0 g
- Total carbs: 7 g
- Sugars: 1 g
- Total fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 8 g
- Protein: 21 g

An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).