Garlic Butter Scallops

Sweet, tender scallops seared until golden and caramelised on the outside, finished with persillade, the garlic, parsley and butter melted over the top. The scallops are delicate and slightly sweet, the butter is rich and garlicky, and the whole thing is done in ten minutes!

Prep20

Cook10

Total30

Servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

12 scallops with shells and coral if you can get them
100 gr unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic
40 gr flat-leaf parsley a large handful
salt and black pepper

Equipment

12 scallop shells if you couldn't find the scallops with shells
mixing bowl
knife
baking mat

Instructions

Make the persillade butter

Mash the softened butter with the garlic and most of the parsley (save a little to garnish). Season with salt and pepper. Make it properly garlicky.

Prepare the scallops and preheat your grill

Heat the grill to maximum (230–250°C). Keep the coral attached if it's there. Pull off the tough white side muscle. Rinse briefly and pat completely dry with kitchen paper. Nestle each scallop into a shell.

Arrange the scallops

Set the shells on a baking tray on a bed of scrunched foil or parchment, so they sit level and the butter stays in.

Add the persillade butter

Top each scallop with a generous spoonful (about 1 tbsp) of persillade butter, or a 3mm slice if it's chilled.

Grill

Grill for 7 to 8 minutes, until the butter is bubbling and the tops are golden and just caramelising. The scallops should be just opaque. Watch closely in the last minutes.

Serve immediately

Straight to the table, still bubbling, with lemon wedges and crusty bread for mopping.

Notes

Try to get the scallops with the coral attached if you can, it adds sweetness and looks more impressive. Avoid anything labelled "soaked" or "water-added," which basically means they've been pumped full of water to increase weight.
Proper scallops should smell like the sea, not fishy.
If you can't find scallop shells (or can't be bothered), individual gratin dishes or even a large shallow baking dish works fine too. You lose the drama, but the taste is identical.
You can make the persillade butter up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Just bring it to room temperature for 15 minutes before using, or slice it straight from the fridge if you've rolled it into a log.

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