Ultra fresh, plump, melt in the mouth and slightly sweet – with a delicious caramelised effect on cooking!
They are caught in Normandy, mostly in the Seine Bay, from the end of November to April, when the scallop is fully mature.
The presence of the coral is guaranteed, enhancing the dish with its lovely orange hue and very popular for its flavour.
Absolute freshness…
On average, the scallops are landed 12 hours after fishing and despatched for sale whole at the same day’s fish market or shelled, as “noix”, for the day after.
They are stored flat until purchased by the end user. Whole scallops have a single extra day for sale under Label Rouge.
The “noix” are removed from the shell by hand and have a short eat-by date (6 to 9 days depending on packaging) compared to other scallops on the market.
The scallops and the “noix” thus retain all their freshness and flavour.
Carefully selected…
Normally 9 to 12kg of whole scallops are required for 1kg flesh. With Label Rouge scallops, less than 6.5kg are required for 1kg of flesh.
The whole scallops are selected and prepared by the fishermen and must be clean and whole: no broken or cracked shells which compromise freshness and no parasites which put weight on the shells and reduce yield. They are generally over 11cm in size, but a range above 13cm is also available for lovers of big scallops.
The scallop “noix”, shelled by hand and carefully rinsed, are visually of the highest quality: beautiful “noix” of flesh with an attractive coral, clean and ready to cook and guaranteed not to leak water on cooking.
Exceptional flavour…
The sensory tests prove it. Conducted every year to monitor the Label Rouge, the sensory analysis indicated that the nuts of Coquille St. Jacques have a whiter colour, are more melting, less stringy and have a more delicate flavour.
Responsible fishing…
In Normandy, the top region in France for scallops (Pecten maximus), fisheries are highly regulated. To conserve resources, fishing boats are restricted in number and size and the number and features of trawls are also limited.
Fishing days and schedules, quotas and a minimum catch size are also defined. From May 16th to September 30th, fishermen leave the fragile stocks alone, giving them time to reproduce.
Groupement Qualité des Marins Pêcheurs, Criées et Mareyeurs de Basse-Normandie
10, avenue du Général de Gaulle
BP 27
14520 PORT EN BESSIN
FRANCE
Tel : +33 (0) 2 31 51 21 53
Fax : +33 (0) 2 31 51 21 52
Email : lettre@nfm.fr
Web Site : www.nfm.fr |
