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!