Recipe: Diana Chan's scallops, speck with lemon & parsley pangrattato

Scallops are one of my favourite seafoods, as they are versatile, quick and easy to cook. They also take on flavours really well and are generally best eaten just cooked. I’m using fresh scallops in this recipe, but frozen works just fine. It is important to remember to thaw the scallops completely overnight and to pat them dry so they do not release excess liquid in the cooking process.

I’ve used speck to add extra richness and saltiness to the dish – substitute with bacon or kaiserfleisch.

Pangrattato in Italian translates to bread crumbs – also known as poor man’s Parmesan. However, it is definitely not second best and works well with the scallops. I have also used scallop shells to serve them in. You can buy these from your local seafood supplier – I usually get my seafood from Aptus Seafoods at South Melbourne Market. Just make sure you boil the shells to ensure they are extra clean

Ingredients (Makes 12)

12 large scallops

50g speck, finely diced

2 tbsp olive oil

½ cup clarified butter

Pangrattato

1 cup of panko bread crumbs, or use normal bread crumbs as a substitute

½ bunch of parsley, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

Zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup olive oil

Garnish

Chives and micro sorrel leaves

Method

■ Dry the scallops, removing any excess liquid. This is important to ensure that the scallops sear and do not steam in their own juices. Once the scallops are dry, season them with salt and pepper.

■ In a medium-sized pan, add some butter and place it on high heat. Heat butter to smoking point before searing the scallops. Place the scallops flat-side down in the hot pan. Remember to not overcrowd the pan or the temperature will drop and you will not get a good sear.

■ Sear for 60-90 seconds on each side, depending on the thickness of the scallop. You may need more or less time, but you want the centre to still be slightly translucent.

■ Remove scallops and set aside.

■ In the meantime, place the olive oil and speck in another pan and fry until slightly crispy and golden brown. Reserve the extra oil in the pan to drizzle over the scallops later.

■ For the pangrattato, place the olive oil in a pan on low heat. Add the garlic, lemon zest and bread crumbs and toast until the crumbs turn golden brown. Remove from pan and add the chopped parsley.

■ To serve, place the scallops on the cleaned shells, spoon over the speck and some of the oil. Sprinkle a generous amount of pangrattato over the top of each scallop. Garnish with some chopped chives and micro sorrel leaves.