Diver caught scallops feel like the ultimate sustainable luxury. Sweet, plump and regenerative by nature, filtering and cleaning the sea while helping to build coastal habitats. Always buy diver-caught and avoid dredged scallops, which devastate the seabed having the opposite impact. Costly per piece, this recipe turns just one scallop into an impressive starter or three into a deeply satisfying main.

By whipping the coral-pink roe into a smoky paprika butter and roasting the scallops in their shells with cherry tomatoes and garlic, potential waste becomes the most luxurious part of the dish.

Season scallops as late as possible

Salt draws moisture to the surface, and moisture is the enemy of a good result. Here, the salted roe butter does all the seasoning work, melting over the scallop at the last second so nothing is lost.

Fat – in this case butter – is one of the most powerful flavour carriers in the kitchen. Many of the aromatic compounds in smoked paprika and scallop roe are fat-soluble, meaning they bind to the butter, baste the scallop with flavour and deliver flavour directly to the palate.

Ingredients

• 6 scallops in half shells, roe kept
• 50g salted butter
• 18 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 red chillies, halved lengthwise, or a pinch of chilli flakes, optional
• 1 tsp smoked or sweet paprika

To serve: a wedge of lemon, samphire, agretti or a slice of gherkin with a drizzle of brine (optional)

Method

To prepare the scallops:

Clean the scallops, leaving each one fixed to the half shell with the abductor muscle intact and the roe kept to one side. Place three halved cherry tomatoes into each shell along with a clove of crushed garlic and, if using, half a red chilli or a pinch of chilli flakes.

To make the roe butter:

Using an immersion blender and jug, blend the scallop roe with the butter and smoked paprika until smooth and combined. Divide the butter evenly between the six shells, making sure each scallop is well covered.

To cook:

Preheat the grill until scorching hot. Place the scallop shells under the heat for 6–8 minutes until the butter is bubbling and the tomatoes are blistered. Serve immediately, garnished with samphire, agretti or a slice of gherkin and a drizzle of brine, with a wedge of lemon alongside.