Recipe thanks to wellnourished.com.au
So with Christmas Day fast approaching, I thought I’d share one of my favourite ‘celebration’ starters. These Half Shell Scallops are such a simple, yet impressive start to a Christmas Day feast or other special occasions. Better still, they are SO simple and fast to make – prep to plate in less than 10 minutes (5 if you have good knife skills)! Goes to prove even ‘special’ can be too easy!
Seafood is such an Australian Christmas tradition, but I’m so fussy with seafood. I don’t do crustaceans (shame because growing up, my grandfather, uncle, and cousin were all cray-fisherman off the coast of WA). But scallops, when well cooked, I just love! The key with them is to add flavour without overpowering their own sweet taste and I think this recipe does that perfectly.
I think this is the most delicious way to eat scallops. The buttery, nutty flavours in this dish compliment this delicate meat and they are really easy to make too.
Hope you enjoy this delicious starter!
Take a look at the variations below for all the details as well as suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements.
Ingredients
- 12 half shell scallops I have used QLD scallops with no roe because I don't like it (told you I was fussy)
- 40 grams butter melted
- 1 clove garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 lemon zest very finely grated
- 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- ¼ cup almond flakes
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to high (180℃).
- Arrange your scallops on a large baking tray.
- Mix together the butter, garlic, lemon zest and parsley.
- Spoon a little blob of the mixture onto the flesh of each scallop.
- Top with a pinch of slivered almonds.
- Pop under the pre-heated grill for 3 minutes (yes they cook super fast).
Notes
To Serve
With lemon cheeks, scattered parsley leaves and a sprinkling of sea salt. I added some garlic flowers and other edible flowers.Variations
BBQLast year on Christmas day our oven was full of the turkey and other goodies, so we preheated the BBQ on a high heat and cooked them in there with the lid closed for a couple of minutes. Dairy-free
Replace the butter with ghee (my preference) or macadamia nut oil. Macadamia
You can replace the almonds with crushed macadamia nuts (I love this version a lot). Nut-free
Replace the nuts with fresh bread crumbs or just leave off.
Georgia’s website, Well Nourished, is full of delicious, wholefood recipes, blog articles around health and wellness so much more.
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About the Author: Georgia Harding
