Griddled scallops: How do you prepare them?  

There is a delicious recipe that is good for practically any time: griddled scallops. This is a very easy dish to prepare and is perfect as an aperitif before moving on to the stronger dishes on the menu, and for this reason, it is a perfect choice to keep in mind. However, don’t let its easy preparation fool you, as it is vital to make it with high-quality produce so that they really are finger-licking good.  

To follow a recipe for griddled scallops you need to know their exact cooking point and how to make a good dressing. But before talking about the steps for making griddled scallops Galician-style, it is worth taking a look at the ingredients you will need: 12 scallops, 2 garlic cloves, 4 spoonfuls of olive oil and fresh parsley. 

It is worth mentioning that griddled scallops are served in their shell. Because of this, the first thing you need to do is to leave the scallops to soak in a large pan or container with water and a pinch of salt for a few hours so that it will be easier to remove the sand. It is convenient to change the water around three times during this process. After this step, you can begin cooking them. 

Open the scallops and separate the flesh from the shell (if using frozen scallops they tend to be open and clean, but it is worth checking them just in case). Keep the flattest shells, wash them and use them to serve the scallops in once they have been cooked.  

When cleaning the scallops with a knife, remove the outer skin and the membrane and keep the white cylindrical muscle and the orange or reddish roe. Pull the whole scallop until the inside is clean, and do the same with the shell in case it has any deposits stuck to it. 

After this, it’s time to prepare the dressing. To do this, prepare some extra virgin olive oil, some very finely chopped garlic and a little salt, and put the scallops into this. Turn them over with a spoon before putting them on the griddle, which should be heated to a high temperature. Cook the scallops (and this is important) for one minute on each side, so that you get a slight golden “crust” on the surface, but the inside is still moist. You have to keep an eye on the time as, if it overcooks, you may turn them into a kind of chewing gum and you don’t want this to happen, of course. 

After these two minutes, place the scallops in the clean shells that you have put aside, put a sprig of parsley on each one and take them to the table (you already know how important presentation can be, that is, that the dish is eaten through the eyes). You can also add a drop of oil to the garlic to boost the flavour even more.  

Salsa verde for griddled scallops

A sauce for griddled scallops is another excellent way of enriching this food even more. The most notable is a salsa verde that can be made very easily. In the jug of a blender, put some peeled garlic cloves, parsley, olive oil and salt to taste. Blend for a few seconds and coat the scallops with this sauce instead of the dressing described earlier. If you like spicy flavours, you can add small pieces of chilli or even a few drops of Tabasco to the salsa verde. You can also accompany the scallops with other types of sauces, such as an oil and lemon dressing with paprika or with your own favourite spices and herbs.  

Lastly, something you should not overlook is that the scallops should be served just cooked, as this is when their texture is juiciest: If they get cold, they won’t be the same. If you have made the salsa verde, you can also finish off any leftover sauce at the table with some slices of bread and, by doing so, enjoy this delicious and simple dish to the max.