Ingredients

• 75g/3oz dried vermicelli noodles
• 8 scallops
• removed from the shells
• de-bearded and coral removed
• shells cleaned and reserved
• 6 cloves garlic
• finely chopped
• 2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger
• peeled
• finely chopped
• 1 red chilli
• de-seeded
• finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fermented salted black beans
• washed and crushed into a paste (available from Asian grocers)
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives or spring onions

Directions

• For the scallops with noodles
• soak the dried vermicelli in a bowl of just-boiled water for 5-6 minutes
• or until tender. Drain well
• then chop into 10cm/4in lengths and set aside.
• Place the cleaned scallops back into their shells.
• For the black bean sauce
• mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Spoon a teaspoon of the sauce on top of each scallop and gently rub into the scallop flesh.
• Wrap some of the soft vermicelli noodles around each scallop
• then spoon one teaspoon of water around the noodles. (This helps to keep the noodles moist and works to create a sauce when combined with the steamed juices of the scallops.)
• Divide the scallop shells between two heatproof serving plates and place each plate into a bamboo steamer
• placing one steamer on top of the other. Place the steamers over a pan or wok of boiling water (making sure the water does not touch the base of the steamer)
• cover
• and steam over a high heat for 4-5 minutes
• or until the scallops are cooked through. If you do not have a bamboo steamer
• place the shells onto a large heatproof plate set on a rack in a roasting tray. Fill the roasting tray with boiling water from the kettle. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4
• cover the whole roasting tray with foil and place into the oven to steam for 4-5 minutes.
• To serve
• serve the scallops in the bamboo steamers
• or remove the plates from the steamer and serve on the plates. Sprinkle over the chopped chives or spring onions and serve immediately.