How To Serve Scallops This Season
Masaki Sugisaki, Dinings SW3
I like both raw and cooked. When I serve raw scallops, I always cut along its muscle not against – this adds character and texture. When cooking scallops, the key is to not to overcook. I prefer to almost sear them than cook. This maximises their sweetness and mature texture. Make sure to choose a live one: these will already be closed tightly or, if they’re open, give them a gentle tap – if they close, they’re alive.
Charcoal-Grilled Scallops With Yuzu & Wasabi Salsa (Serves 4)
INGREDIENTS
- 4 large scallopsFor the yuzu oil:
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 tbsp of yuzu juice
For the wasabi salsa:
- 2 tbsp of diced white onion
- 1 tbsp of kizami wasabi (pickled wasabi available from Japanese grocery stores)
- 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp of yuzu juice
- 1 tsp of chopped chives
METHOD
- Mix the wasabi salsa ingredients in a bowl.
- Place the cleaned scallop on the shell. Drizzle over olive oil and season with sea salt.
- Place each scallop on the highest part of the charcoal grill. Once they start to sizzle, turn over and cook for a few minutes.
- Once cooked, drizzle a tablespoon of yuzu oil on each scallop before placing a further tablespoon of wasabi salsa on top to finish.
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Marcus Eaves, Oblix
I’m a massive fan of scallops – they’re so versatile. Super fresh scallops served raw are beautiful, yet there’s nothing quite like a grilled diver scallop with a hint of smokiness from the charcoal grill. Preparing shellfish is a true skill and great to watch. Scallops can take on moisture quite easily, so if you’re cooking them, it’s incredibly important to remove them from the shell as late as possible. Cornish scallops are at their best at the moment.
Grilled Diver Scallop, Minestrone & Basil Pesto
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large diver scallops per person
For the tomato water:
- 600g of washed cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 a sheet of nori
- 25g of cooked, crispy pancetta
- 1g of kosher salt
For the smoked bacon stock:
- 2l of tomato water (see above)
- 15g of diced smoked bacon
- 3g of salt
For the cherry tomatoes:
- Washed cherry tomatoes
- Chopped garlic
- Chopped thyme and rosemary
- Maldon salt
- Caster sugar
- Olive oil
For the pesto:
- 75g of basil
- 15g of parsley
- 5g of mint
- 45g of roasted pine nuts
- 1/2 clove of garlic
- 15g of white balsamic vinegar
- 175ml of olive oil
For the minestrone:
- 20g of diced carrot
- 10g of diced shallot
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 20g of sliced baby courgette
- 20g of sliced sugar snap peas
- 20g of halved cherry tomatoes, semi dried
- Pre-blanched mini pasta
METHOD
- To make the tomato water, blend the ingredients in a food processor until a paste is formed. Place into a sieve and let the mix drain for a few hours.
- For the smoked bacon stock, bring the tomato water, bacon and salt to the boil and set to one side for 30 minutes to infuse.
- Meanwhile, mix the cherry tomatoes in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Marinate for 10 minutes before placing the tomatoes under the grill on a low setting until cooked.
- Using a pestle and mortar, purée the pesto herbs, garlic and pine nuts until they reach a fine paste, adding olive oil and white balsamic at the end.
- Sweat down the shallots and garlic with salt then add to the infused bacon stock. Add the carrots and boil until soft, then chill down as fast as possible. This will form your minestrone base.
- Grill the scallops on the charcoal grill.
- Put one small ladle of the minestrone base in a pan, then add some of the minestrone garnish, semi-dried tomatoes and mini pasta. Bring to the boil.
- To serve, make a small pile of the basil pesto in the centre of a bowl, place the scallops on top, pour over the minestrone and finish with basil leaves.
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Andreas Bollanos, Sushisamba
Choosing a great scallop is the beginning of a successful dish. I always go for hand-dived scallops because I believe it’s the best way of catching them without damaging their flesh or the seabed. I get mine from Billingsgate Market, which is home to some of London’s great fishmongers.
Scallop & Mandarin Ceviche (Serves 2)
INGREDIENTS
- 65g of scallops
- 30g of red onion
- 25g of peppers
- 20g of breakfast radish
- 1 mandarin
- 1 lime
- 5g of maiz morado
- 1g of salt
- Shiso cress
For the leche de tigre:
- 100ml of mandarin juice
- 10g of lime juice
- 20g of aji amarillo paste
- 5g of ginger
- 1g of garlic
- 1g of Maldon sea salt
- 5g of maiz morado
- 0.2g of xanthan (thickener)
- 10ml of vegetable oil
METHOD
- Cube the scallops and reserve.
- Wash all vegetables and slice them into thin pieces, then reserve.
- Remove wedges from the mandarin and place in refrigerator until needed.
- For the leche de tigre, slowly reduce the juice to half over a hob. When ready, add all of the ingredients except the vegetable oil. Pour in the oil slowly to emulsify.
- To assemble, place the scallops in a bowl with the lime and the salt for 1 minute. Mix and add all the vegetables and the leche de tigre. Plate ingredients and garnish with the maiz morado, mandarin and shiso cress.
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