The scallop fishing season starts in October in Normandy.
The fishermen of Courseulles-sur-Mer set sail every day in search of this exquisite delicacy.
Fishmongers, chefs and gourmets are impatiently waiting for the boats to return !
Did you know that? More than 7 out of 10 scallops fished in France are from Normandy.
They have the Label Rouge, a guarantee of quality.
Credit : Normandie Bord de Mer
More than 30,000 tonnes are landed each year in the ports.
For a sustainable and responsible fishing, this one is very regulated.
Fishing is only open from October to May to give the shellfish time to grow and thus protect the resources.
The scallop, star of the fish market
Credit : Sylmi Sébastien-Delanoë
Why wait for Christmas to taste it?
Gourmet friends, come to Normandy from October and during the All Saints’ holiday to savour the scallop, while enjoying the iodised air of the seaside.
Fished in the depths of the Channel, this wild seafood can be enjoyed with all kinds of sauces !
Visit Courseulles-sur-Mer every morning at the fishing port : next to the soles and sea breams that are still wriggling, the scallops are proudly displayed on the stalls of the fish market.
The fishermen will give you some tips on how to eat them : snacked on with a few spices or pan-fried with a little Norman crème fraîche.
Yummy !
The scallop landing
Crédit : Normandie Bord de Mer
The scallops are landed ultra-fresh thanks to daily fishing and are immediately sold on the fish market.
From the Quai des Alliés or from the fishermen’s jetty, you can admire the ballet of fishing boats returning from the open sea, closely followed by the voracious gulls.
The trawler is moored in the port.
The boat’s crew unloads one by one the crates loaded with scallops.
They are then placed on an electric trolley to be transported a few metres further to the stalls of the fish market on the Quai des Alliés.
You can’t get much fresher than this !
The stalls are open every morning, every day of the year.
First come, first served !
The scallop festival
From October to December, the Calvados coastline comes alive to celebrate the scallop.
Sea songs, scallop sales at the fish market, peeling competitions, culinary activities, guided tours, introduction to sea knots… end of November, the scallop festival will be held in Courseulles-sur-Mer.
This festival focuses on products from the sea and maritime culture.
You can taste, buy, observe and meet fishermen who are passionate about their work.
The scallop festival in Calvados :
The scallop sublimated in our plates
This autumn, many chefs from restaurants along the Normandy coast are preparing menus based around scallops.
The Norman scallop, tasty, generously cooked and healthy, is omnipresent on the menus of Normandy restaurants.
Low in calories, the scallop contains excellent proteins, very little fat and very few carbohydrates.
The scallop is a source of many nutrients necessary for good health : vitamin B12, Omega 3, magnesium and calcium.
It would be wrong to deprive ourselves of it !
