Love scallops? The French Grocer sources the best scallops from around the world thanks to its trusted partners such as Ocean Gems. There are many varieties of scallops but those from Hokkaido stand out the most. This is because our partner’s stringent selection ensures that only high-quality scallops are chosen to be cleaned, processed and packed within hours of harvesting. This preserves their natural freshness, taste and texture to the maximum.

Furthermore, the whole shells are processed with no chemical or preservative, giving these scallops a plump and succulent sweetness.

They are also an excellent source of vitamin B12 and Omega 3 fatty acids. And did you know, these scallops are snap frozen making them sashimi grade!

And now for the best part, our simple recipe for lemon butter garlic scallops.

Instructions:

• Our scallops are frozen so thaw them in cold water first and pat them dry with paper
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and slowly add the scallops so that they don’t stick to each
• Now season with a little salt and pepper and sear for about 3 minutes on each
• See a golden crust forming on the bottom? Flip to the other side and continue searing for another 2
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add in chopped
• Finally, pour in a little white wine and let it simmer for a few minutes and add a tablespoon of lemon juice for that wonderful zest!

Get our Hokkaido Scallops here in different sizes at: https://thefrenchgrocer.com/product/japan-hokkaido-scallop-roe-off-26-30-pcs-kg-m-size- frozen

We’ve seen whipped cream in supermarkets – and of course, in our desserts but do you know what you can do with cooking & whipping cream? It is a highly versatile type of cream and in this article, we’re going to share some simple dishes that would be simply perfect with this product. At The French Grocer, we introduce to you Candia 30% fat UHT Professional Cooking & Whip Cream (one litre).

This excellent product from France that uses 100% French milk falls in between cooking and whipping cream. It is suitable for both sweet and savoury dishes, and performs well also as a binding agent in gratins and quiches. This is because it remains stable and homogeneous in either hot or cold preparations, even when exposed to high temperatures or over long cooking periods.

And now for the fun part! Here are some dishes where you can incorporate this product and instantly turn up the taste by several notches!

1) Gnocchi: jazz it up with pesto sauce and Candia cream

2) Strawberry cream cupcakes: simply oozing with smooth and decadent filling

3) Lasagna: the perfect combination with creamy mozzarella cheese

4) Frittata: a wonderful Italian breakfast that’s rich and creamy

5) New York mud pie: a dessert straight from heaven made better with whipped cream

6) Pasta with herbed cream sauce: add this product into the dish and feel the difference!

7) Roast beef: Pair this dish with red wine cream sauce…delectable

Need more ideas on how to incorporate Candia Professional Cooking & Whipping Cream into your dishes? Drop us a message on our instagram @the_french_grocer You can also shop for this product at: https://thefrenchgrocer.com/product/france-candia-30-fat-uht-professional-cooking-whip-cream-1l

This month, The French Grocer is all about the beautiful and succulent lamb meat. That’s why we have prepared for you a wonderful selection of lamb meats on our online shop including rack of lamb, lamb tenderloin, lamb leg bone and of course, lamb shank. In this article, we are going to share a simple but absolutely delicious lamb shank recipe that you can prepare and dazzle guests at the dining table!

There are so many parts of a lamb that we could enjoy but lamb shank stands out as the part that melts and falls off into tender portions after slow cooking. This makes it a hot favourite among many aspiring chefs! You could serve it over a side of mashed potatoes or even spinach and garnish with herbs.

Slow-Cooked Red Wine Lamb Shank Recipe

For slow-cooked red wine braised lamb shank, you would need to first season the lamb shank in salt and pepper and brown it by cooking on one side for about 7 minutes and the other side for another 7 minutes. Then remove the shank and put it aside. Now add carrots, onions and celery to the pot and sautée them. Lastly, add some garlic and continue cooking for a minute or two.

And now for the star of the dish: red wine. Add it together with some beef broth into the pot as well as herbs (rosemary, thyme, etc). Then add some tomato paste and stir them all together. Finally, put in the lamb shank and make sure the gravy covers the meat. Bring the content to a boil and reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook for another 2 hours. And the final step, which is also the most rewarding, is to open the lid and check if your lamb shank has become tender and soft!

For the best selection of lamb shank and other lamb cuts, visit: https://thefrenchgrocer.com/product/nz-lamb-foreshank-bone-in-350g-pc-3-pcs-pkt-frozen

 

What is Stracciatella cheese? The name may not be too common in the world of cheese that we normally see in supermarkets like cheddar, brie or mozzarella but it can certainly be an interesting addition to your culinary ideas! So what exactly is Stracciatella cheese? It is actually a traditional type of Italian cheese that is made from pulled mozzarella curds mixed with some fresh cream. This cheese is in fact the filling of a Burrata (an Italian cow milk cheese with a solid outer casing) so it has a semi-liquid consistency therefore spooning it out will be easier.

Stracciatella is made using fresh fresh mozzarella shreds and is becoming popular as a topping for pizzas, salads or an appetizer with freshly-baked breads. It tastes similar to mozzarella but just a little milder and acidic. However, the texture is incredible – it is buttery smooth, creamy and divinely silky!

The biggest question is: how should we appreciate Straticciatella cheese? It is a very versatile cheese and because of its subtle depth, it complements many foods without overpowering them. You can spread this cheese on warm toast and drizzle it with extra virgin olive oil then grind some fresh black pepper to finish off on an earthy note. You can also use it as a topping for pizza that is piping hot from the oven. It will serve as a magnificent topping as it slowly melts to form a delicious sticky gooey layer. You can also serve it with roasted root vegetables and some tomatoes before drizzling balsamic vinegar.

At The French Grocer, we have newly introduced this product that comes in a 200g tub (frozen) for your convenience. Simply perfect on its own but you can enjoy it with other ingredients for many recipes. Get it here at: https://thefrenchgrocer.com/product/italy-pugliese-caseificio-stracciatella-200g-tub-fozen

Premier Cru, Grand Cru, Autre Cru…we might see these labels often when we shop for a bottle of champagne, and they look professional but what do they exactly mean? In this article, we are going to shed light on how to choose the perfect champagne and understand some commonly used terms in the industry. And hopefully with that, you can apply this newfound knowledge to pick up some champagne to usher in 2023 with family and friends!

Let’s start with the labels. The three terms that we mentioned above are simply an indication of how the vineyards are classified according to their capability to produce excellent-category grapes used to make champagne. As the name implies, Premier Cru and Grand Cru naturally mean that the categories are ranked higher than Autre Cru but generally all standards are of a reasonable quality so don’t be too concerned about these labels…we aren’t all connoisseurs!

The next thing we are going to look at is the “style” which we can sometimes see on the bottle such as “Blanc de Blancs”, “Blanc de Noirs” and “Rosé”. The first one translates directly into “White of Whites” which means that the champagne is made using 100% white grapes. They usually present citrusy or apple-like notes that might please those who are inclined towards fruity champagnes. For Blanc de Noirs, it translates into “White of Blacks” – and you guessed it, such champagnes are made from a 100% concentration of black grapes.

Therefore they typically present a berry-like depth that can be rather refreshing. The last term is Rosé which we assume most readers are familiar with – they are made by combining white champagne with a small amount of red wine to give it that elegant pink hue and subtle fruit flavour.

And finally, the sweetness level. If you’re leaning on the sweet side when it comes to wines, look for labels that have the term “Doux” as they are generally more sweet-tasting. On the other end is “Brut Nature” which is more controlled in its sweetness. Now that you know these basic terms, why not consider our Roger Coulon Heri-Hodie Brut champagne at https://thefrenchgrocer.com/product/champagne-roger-coulon-heri-hodie-brut-75cl-nv     to usher in 2023? This white-golden coloured wine has a delicate and elegant bouquet of flavours that’s absolutely charming and stimulating!