The French name for scallop is coquille Saint Jacques or John the Baptist’s shell. It is used as a waymark – and can still be seen – on the front of houses or hostels that welcomed pilgrims on the way to John the Baptist’s tomb at Santiago del Compostela in Galicia, north west Spain.

The white meat of this really solid shellfish needs only very brief but intense cooking, otherwise it will become tough to eat. Here is a scallop starter devised by the Isigny Sainte-Mère chef Ivan Vautier that combines the sweetness of biscuits and the crunch of endive with scallops.