A simple treatment for stunning scallops

Sea scallops, with their beautiful fan-shaped shells, are prized among the luxury seafoods, along with lobsters and crabs. As with many such things, the simplest preparations are usually the best. My go-to approach with scallops is to pan-sear or grill them, which concentrates their flavour and gives them a crisp exterior.

Though very fresh scallops may be eaten raw, sliced thinly as for an Italian crudo or turned into a Mexican ceviche, I think cooked scallops are best when they are medium in the centre, not rare.

For a July sea-scallop supper, I paired grilled jumbo scallops with a kicky corn salsa, made bright green with puréed raw tomatillos, punched up with jalapeño and lime.

The sweetness of the scallops plays well with the acidity and medium-hot spice of the salsa. I was happy serving mine with small boiled potatoes, but this simple presentation could easily be turned into a more complex composed salad by adding avocado, radishes, cherry tomatoes and lettuce leaves, presented on a large platter.

If outdoor grilling is not possible, use a ridged stovetop grill or a castiron pan, cranked up to nearly smoking. Large scallops, about 30g each, are ideal for grilling or pan-searing. Whatever the size, it is most important to look for the best scallops: usually called dry-packed, day boat or diver scallops. This means they have not been treated with sodium bisulfite (or another preservative solution), which bleaches them, plumps them with water, and makes them nearly impossible to brown.

The trick here is to grill the scallops long enough on the first side. Let them brown and crisp well — otherwise they will stick and have an anaemic appearance. So wait three to five minutes before attempting to turn them — you want them golden and burnished on top.

With the colourful corn and pepper salsa, lime wedges and cilantro sprigs, this platter of scallops has a cheerful summery appearance, and the flavour of sea air and sunshine.