Round and golden, with the appearance of butterscotch toffee (but not the flavour!), these are sea scallops that have been sun-dried. They are used to flavour soups, stocks and sauces. Sometimes referred to as conpoy on Chinese menus, they are available from Chinese herbalists or medicine shops. Dried scallops are expensive to buy and have a full-bodied, intense flavour and aroma โ so use sparingly.
ยฉ 1999 Christine Manfield. All rights reserved.