Pictured: Grilled Scallops with a Coriander and Nut Butter Based on a recipe by the king of seafood cooking- Rick Stein. The easiest and simplest way to cook scallops is a quick grill in a beautiful butter- sometimes I make up the Tetsuya’s truffle butter recipe from his truffle jar and dot that over as I did for a course at my mother’s 70th birthday party. Or you could do a simple soy and lime, basil butter or garlic butter.
I like the addition of some crunchy nuts to complement the delicate scallops so this is one of my favourites.
Tip - first buy some scallops in the shell and keep the shells for future grilling and presentation- I serve two in one shell if short on shells or tray space
12 scallops, roe on or off, in the shell or a small baking dish
Salt and freshly ground paper
Coriander and Nut Butter-
20g roasted nuts – any will work. I like a mix of pine nuts and almonds, or as Rick suggests hazelnuts
75g unsalted butter, softened
A handful of coriander leaves
2 tbsp parsley leaves
2 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 tsp lemon or lime juice
Prepare the nut butter – roast the nuts and cool them ready to blitz in a food processor with all the other ingredients – taste for balance, you should love the butter already before it melts over the scallops.
Lay the scallops on a baking tray and preheat the grill to high.
Dot some butter over the prepared scallops, or brush with some melted butter. Season with the salt and pepper.
Grill for 1 ½ minutes, take the tray out and drop a good teaspoon of butter over each scallop, and grill for a further 1 ½ minutes or until the butter is melted and scallops cooked through.
Serve immediately.
Serves 2