Grilled scallops with green peppercorns & garlic

Winter

When I was 12 years old I got my first job in a pub. I was paid £1 an hour to wash up. I know, £1! They served really good food there, and occasionally I got to taste it. One dish that drove me completely crazy was the grilled scallops in garlic butter. The chef sent them out in the shell, straight from the ferocity of the grill to the table, still bubbling. The smell of the butter and garlic would make my little tummy turn cartwheels in hopeful anticipation. Annoyingly, I never did get to try them, but hey, at least I was getting paid. This dish, and the smell as it cooks, reminds me of those first kitchen shifts I did as a kid. This is a really simple recipe to put together. I’ve added a dash of cream here, and green peppercorns, which I love with seafood.

Serves 2 as a starter

Ingredients

6 scallops, white meat removed from the shells
1 knob of butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons green peppercorns
2 thyme sprigs
2–3 tablespoons double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat the grill to its highest setting. Place the prepared scallops in a solid little tray or dish that will sit happily under the grill. Dot the butter over and around them, along with the sliced garlic, green peppercorns and thyme sprigs. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place the dish under the grill. It wants to be pretty close to the flame or element. Grill the scallops for 2–3 minutes on the first side, then flip them over, add the cream, give the dish a little shuffle to mix it all up, and return to the grill to cook for a further 2 minutes, until the scallops are cooked through and the sauce is bubbling deliciously.

Bring the scallops to the table with hunks of good bread for mopping up the sauce.

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