Grilled Herbed-Butter Scallops
Served in scallop shells, this impressive starter is easy to prepare ahead and cooks in a matter of minutes.
Hands-on time 45min.
Cooking time about 12min. Serves 6
18 scallops in their shells, see GH Tip
150g butter, softened
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
6tbsp capers, drained and roughly chopped
Juice 1 lemon
Small handful parsley, finely chopped
50g fresh white breadcrumbs
Lemon wedges, to serve
1 To open scallops, hold 1 in your hand with the flat shell on top and the hinge away from you. Insert a cutlery knife into the small opening near the hinge and twist to release shells. Gently run the knife along the inside of the curved shell to release the scallop. Open shells completely and scrape contents on to a board (reserve curved shell). Pull off and discard anything surrounding the central scallop, including the coral roe (or keep roe attached, if you prefer).
2 Repeat, preparing the remaining scallops, reserving 6 of the curved shells in total. Rinse the scallops thoroughly under cold running water for at least 5min. Drain well, cover and chill until needed (up to 2hr).
3 Meanwhile, wash the 6 reserved shells in hot soapy water. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the cleaned shells and bubble for 5min to sterilise. Drain and set aside to dry.
4 In the small bowl of a food processor, whizz the butter, garlic, capers, lemon juice, parsley and some seasoning until well combined. Alternatively, mix in a bowl. Scrape on to a sheet of baking parchment, wrap into a sausage shape and chill until needed.
5 Preheat grill to high. Pat scallops dry with kitchen paper and put 3 into each shell. Arrange the shells on a baking tray. Slice the butter into 18 portions and put 1 on top of each scallop. Grill for 4min, or until the butter has slightly melted.
6 Carefully spread the butter around the scallops, then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Grill for 2min more, or until the scallops are cooked through and the breadcrumbs are golden. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing over.
PER SERVING 316cals, 23g protein, 22g fat (13g saturates), 7g carbs (1g total sugars), 1g fibre
GET AHEAD Make and chill the herby butter up to 3 days ahead. Prepare and chill scallops and wash and boil shells up to 2hr ahead. Complete recipe to serve.