Queenies with Garlic and Bacon: Small Scallops, a Hot Pan and Bread for the Juices
Golden edges on the bacon, a quick sear on small scallops, and a final moment in foaming butter and garlic that stops the second the scallops turn just opaque. Then bread, straight away, for the buttery juices left on the plate.
Smoked streaky bacon goes into a wide pan first, and its fat slowly renders out until the edges turn golden and crisp. The bacon comes out, the heat goes up, and small, pale queen scallops go into that fat in a single layer. About a minute on each side, then the heat comes down, butter foams around thin slices of garlic, and the scallops turn opaque almost as you watch. Back goes the bacon with parsley and a squeeze of lemon, one quick toss, and the plate goes to the table with crusty bread to wipe up every drop.
This is a dish of the Isle of Man, the island in the Irish Sea whose queen scallops, known locally as queenies, were voted its national dish in 2018. The version here follows the garlic-and-bacon pairing that became associated with that vote. It is one modern home recipe, not the single fixed way queenies are eaten on the island, and the recipe it follows, published by Manx Wire, notes that it has not been kitchen-tested. Sekai Gohan has not kitchen-tested this recipe as a whole. Treat the times as guides and let the look of the scallops make the final call.
What Queenies Are: Small Scallops with a Protected Name
"Isle of Man Queenies" is a protected food name for queen scallops caught in Isle of Man waters. The product specification held by the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) describes the queen scallop as having meat considerably smaller than that of the king scallop, and allows it to be sold with the roe on or removed. The same specification lists forms such as dry, unsoaked meat, individually quick frozen (IQF) meat and scallops on the half shell.
That name carries the place with it. Small scallops bought elsewhere, or larger scallops from an ordinary fishmonger, are not Isle of Man Queenies, and this article does not call them that. If you cook this dish with other scallops, it is a home substitute that borrows the method, not a reproduction of the island's product or its flavor.
The difference in size also matters at the stove. Queenies are small, so their cooking time is short. A thicker scallop will not necessarily be done in the same time, which is why the steps below tell you what to look for, not only how long to wait.
From Cod Bait to National Dish: How Garlic and Bacon Joined the Queenies
According to the Defra specification, the queen scallop fishery began in the mid-19th century, when queenies were used as bait for cod longlines, and the name "queen scallop" has been in wide use since at least the late 19th century. The specification records 1969 as the year the queen scallop industry began. Manx Wire tells a broadly matching story: queenies were first cod bait, the fishing changed in the 1960s, and commercial landings began at Peel in 1969. These dates are presented here as the specification and the regional article give them, not as an independently settled origin.
The modern turn came in 2018. Locate Isle of Man reports that more than 2,500 people voted, and Manx Queenies were named the island's new national dish. After the announcement, chef Tony Quirk cooked queenies with garlic and bacon at the event, and the dish was handed out to those attending. The same article notes that islanders also talk about eating queenies in a white or cream sauce, so garlic and bacon is one way among several, not the only one.
The recipe used here, from Manx Wire, follows the garlic-and-bacon combination shown after the vote, but Manx Wire is clear that it is not Tony Quirk's own recipe. Today Visit Isle of Man lists queenies among the island's seafood and Manx delicacies, alongside Manx Loaghtan Lamb, hot smoked salmon and smoked kippers, as something for visitors to seek out at local restaurants.
Locate Isle of Man's article describes queenies as "farmed in the Irish Sea." The Defra product specification, which defines the protected name, describes a wild-caught fishery, so this article follows the specification on that point.
If you want to compare other seafood and bacon cooking from around the same waters, see fish and chips from the United Kingdom and Dublin coddle from Ireland.
Ingredients: 2 Mains or 4 Starters
There is no salt in the list. The bacon brings salt, so taste before adding any. No egg, cream or white wine goes into this dish.
This dish contains shellfish (molluscs) and milk (butter). The bread served alongside contains wheat (gluten). Check the label on your bacon as well.
Equipment
- A large frying pan
- A slotted spoon
- Kitchen paper
- A plate for the cooked bacon (and for the first batch of scallops, if you cook in two batches)
Choosing Scallops and Bacon Where You Live
Queenies themselves: Dry, unsoaked meat is easier to brown. Scallops that have been soaked tend to release water in the pan, and there is no promise they will color in the same way. Roe on or roe off are both acceptable, so choose whichever you prefer.
Frozen queenies: Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, then pat them thoroughly dry before cooking.
Other scallops as a home substitute: If you cannot get Isle of Man Queenies, use 400g of scallop meat from your fishmonger or supermarket, ideally sold for cooking. Ordinary scallops are often larger and thicker than queenies, so check the size of each piece and judge doneness by how they look, not by the "about 1 minute per side" alone. The result is a home version of the method, not the island's protected product.
Bacon: Smoked streaky bacon with a good amount of fat is what the dish relies on, both for the fat left in the pan and for its smoke. Other fatty smoked bacon can stand in, but saltiness and smokiness vary, so taste before seasoning.
Oil: Stay with rapeseed or sunflower oil, a neutral oil that simply gets the bacon started.
Method: Seven Steps, One Pan
Have everything sliced, chopped and ready before the pan goes on. Once the scallops go in, the rest moves quickly, and if you cook the scallops in two batches the whole process takes a little longer.
Fixing Problems: Wet, Pale, Tough or Bitter
| What happened | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The scallops released water and would not brown | Surface moisture, or soaked scallops | Pat them dry thoroughly and sear in a single layer. Dry, unsoaked scallops brown more easily; soaked ones may not color the same way |
| The scallops turned white and looked stewed | Too many in the pan at once, so the temperature dropped | Next time cook in two batches. Simply searing for longer will not fix it |
| The scallops are tough | Too much heat carried over | Finish as soon as they are just opaque throughout and get them to the table right away |
| The garlic tastes bitter | It went in over high heat | Lower the heat to medium before adding the butter and garlic, and cook only briefly |
| It tastes too salty | Bacon saltiness | Do not add salt before tasting. Serve lemon at the table for extra brightness instead |
Food Safety and Handling
Keep fresh or frozen scallops refrigerated as the seller's label directs, and do not leave them out at room temperature. Do not refreeze scallops that have been thawed. Cook them until they are opaque all the way through; this dish is not meant to be eaten raw. Do not serve raw or undercooked shellfish to pregnant people, young children, older people or anyone with a weakened immune system.
This dish is at its best freshly made. It is designed to be eaten as soon as it leaves the pan, not stored and reheated, so cook only what you plan to eat.
Variations
- As a starter for four: Keep the same amounts and divide the pan into four smaller plates.
- With the roe on: Choose queenies with the roe attached for its color and texture alongside the white meat.
- From frozen: Thaw the queenies overnight in the refrigerator and dry them well before step 1.
- With larger scallops: Watch the thickness and check how they are cooking instead of relying on the short queenie timing.
- More brightness at the table: If the bacon is salty, keep the amounts as they are and add an extra squeeze of lemon on the plate rather than salt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I buy queenies with the roe on or off?
Either works. The Defra specification allows Isle of Man Queenies to be sold with the roe on or removed, and the recipe accepts both. Roe on adds color and a different texture; roe off gives a plate of only the white meat.
Can I use frozen queenies?
Yes. Manx Wire advises thawing frozen queenies in the refrigerator, then patting them dry before cooking. Cook them the same way, in a single layer, and do not refreeze them once thawed.
Can I make this with ordinary scallops?
You can make a home version with scallop meat from your fishmonger or supermarket, but it will not be Isle of Man Queenies, and larger, thicker scallops may need a different cooking time. Sear them in a single layer and finish when they are just opaque all the way through.
Is garlic and bacon the traditional way to eat queenies?
It is one well-known modern way. Locate Isle of Man connects the garlic-and-bacon dish to chef Tony Quirk's cooking after the 2018 vote, and the same article mentions islanders eating queenies in a white or cream sauce. This recipe follows the garlic-and-bacon combination; Manx Wire notes that it is not a reproduction of Tony Quirk's own recipe.
Can I keep leftovers?
The dish is meant to be served straight from the pan, and the scallops continue to cook in their own heat as they sit. Cook only what you will eat right away rather than planning on leftovers.
Has this recipe been tested?
Sekai Gohan has not kitchen-tested this recipe as a whole. Manx Wire also states that its recipe has not been kitchen-tested. Use the times as a guide and rely on the visual cues in each step, especially whether the scallops are just opaque throughout.
Sources
- Manx Wire, "Manx recipes — a taste of the island (Queenies with garlic and bacon)." The ingredients, servings, steps, heat levels and times used in this recipe; the notes on dry, unsoaked scallops, thawing frozen scallops in the refrigerator and cooking in batches; the statement that the recipe follows the garlic-and-bacon pairing shown after the 2018 vote but is not Tony Quirk's recipe and has not been kitchen-tested; and the background on the queenie fishery and the 2018 vote. https://manxwire.im/culture/recipes/
- UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), "Protected food name: Isle of Man Queenies — product specification." The definition of Isle of Man Queenies as queen scallops caught in Isle of Man waters, their smaller size compared with king scallops, sale with roe on or off, forms such as dry unsoaked, IQF and half shell, and the fishery's history as given in the specification. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5fd363fb8fa8f54d60878a7b/pfn-isle-of-man-queenie-pdo.pdf
- Locate Isle of Man, "Manx Queenies are named the Isle of Man's national dish." The 2018 vote in which more than 2,500 people chose Manx Queenies as the new national dish, chef Tony Quirk's garlic-and-bacon dish at the event, and islanders' mention of eating queenies in a white or cream sauce. https://www.locate.im/articles/national-dish-of-the-isle-of-man-
- Visit Isle of Man, "Discover the Isle of Man — Familiarisation Pack 2024, For the Foodie." Queenies listed among the island's seafood and Manx delicacies alongside Manx Loaghtan Lamb, hot smoked salmon and smoked kippers, in a food tourism context. https://www.visitisleofman.com/dbimgs/Discover%20the%20Isle%20of%20Man%20Fam%20template%20Isle%20of%20Man%202024%20%281%29-compressed.pdf
