Roasted Hand-dived Scallops with Chorizo, Garlic and Parsley

For Gill Meller, a chef, award-winning food writer and author of “Outside: Cooking Outdoors - Recipes for the Wild,” living near the small fishing town of Lyme Regis, is paradise. In the summer, the beaches are bustling and the small fishing boats land their morning’s catch on the old harbour wall, making it an ideal time to score hand-dived scallops. 

It’s by far the most sustainable way to harvest the shellfish, and in Gill’s experience, they’re always fresher and sweeter than shop-bought. One of his favourite ways to cook scallops is in the shell, and here he shares his recipe for roasted hand-dived scallops with spicy chorizo, minced garlic and parsley. Finished with a squeeze of lemon and nothing more, it’s the perfect appetiser that will impress guests and can be pulled off in no time. 

Because scallops do well when cooked quickly and at a high temperature, using an Ooni makes total sense – the oven floor transfers heat directly into the shells, which cooks the scallop meat from underneath while the rolling flames sear them from above. They take no more than a minute or so and take on a gorgeous smoky flavour. 

Get ready for a taste of the ocean in every bite, and be sure to have a nice green salad and fresh bread on hand – you’ll want to soak up the buttery sauce at the bottom of the pan!


Two hands holding a roasting tray with roasted hand-dived scallops with chorizo, garlic and parsley.

Note

If you’re using hand-dived (live) scallops, you’ll need to prep them or ask a fishmonger to do it. If doing it yourself, Gill suggests the following method: 1) Take a thin-bladed knife (e.g. a fileting knife), and hold the shell upright (rounded edge on a cutting board, hinge at the top). If you’re right-handed, the flat side should face to your right, if you’re left-handed, to your left; 2) Find an opening as near to the top edge as possible and ease in the knife tip. Keep the knife tight to the flat of the shell and cut it down through the muscle where it meets the shell. This will allow you to open the scallop; 3) Run the knife tip under the scallop, remove it, and place it on a board; 4)Take off the translucent strip of frill and the black gut sack at the back of the muscle. Peel away and discard any other membrane around the scallop. Try and keep the orange roe in place. If it comes away, hang onto it. If the scallops need a rinse, do so and then pat them dry with a paper towel.