A sweet juicy scallop is a real shellfish treat. As with many fish dishes simple is best. These grilled scallops are quick and easy to prepare and pair very well with the lime and basil butter.
For this recipe allow two or three large scallops per person as a starter more if you are making a light supper. They are rich and filling so if they are large specimens you will not need many. Allow about 20 minutes to prepare and cook. Ingredients below will feed four lucky diners.
Ingredients For Grilled Scallops
12 large scallops, shucked and cleaned from Walter Purkis & Sons
salt and black pepper
Basil and Lime Butter
85g (3oz) butter, softened
2 x 15ml spoon (2 tablespoons) fresh chopped basil
juice and zest of 1 lime
Cooking Method For Grilled Scallops
In a small bowl mix the butter ingredients together and set aside and chill in the fridge.
Preheat the grill
Remove the coral (or roe) from each scallop and set aside. If you shellfish are large you can half them to create two smaller discs that will cook quicker set aside.
Spread 40g of the flavoured butter onto a grill pan.
Add the scallops and coral to the grill pan 5cm (2″) apart. Dot with the remaining butter and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally. It’s important to avoid over cooking them,as they can become tasteless and rubbery. When done (they change colour from translucent to white and become firm to the touch) transfer to a warm serving dish.
Spoon the juices from the pan over the scallops and serve with sliced new potatoes and salad leaves tossed in a little vinaigrette dressing.
Having tried this technique why not experiment further with different infused butters that will give the grilled scallops so much flavour. Try butter with some zest of lemon, shallot, garlic and maybe some spicy chilli.
You can find lots of other scallop recipes here >>
