Actually, these noodles are strips of the scallop mantle. We trim them off from the fresh shucked scallop innards and soak them in a brine of 5% salt for 10 minutes. Once the mantles are soaked, we saute them in olive oil and then quickly cool them down. When they are chilled we add lime juice, black pepper, minced cilantro, basil leaves, un-salt wort and garlic chive blossoms. The mantles have a nice snap and springiness to their texture and the dish is bright and herbaceous with notes of the sea. While scallops are ubiquitous on many menus, the mantles provide a delicious flavor with a texture we do not always consider. Furthermore, the mantle usually ends up in the bin. And if this preparation does not excite you think about scallop chile again made with the mantle.
