This recipe was inspired by friends who enjoy spice as much we do. They asked which Little Bottles Spice would go best with scallops on the grill. Of course, it prompted us to conduct some research, which in our family is called a “working dinner.” This recipe will give you succulent, sweet scallops with a surprisingly companionable spice flavor. We’ve also come up with two variations so you can have fun finding your favorite flavor combinations. Easy to prepare and grill, it may replace hamburgers as a” go to” summer food.
Ingredients
2 pounds of large scallops (approximately 30)
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 large garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Little Bottles The Original or The Rojo Spice Blend
Preparation
Place scallops in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil parsley, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk until well blended. Pour mixture over scallops and allow to marinate for 30 minutes. Scallops are delicate so the less you handle them the better, but you want to make sure they are all covered with the mixture.
While scallops are marinating, prepare your grill. We use a charcoal grill for all of our outdoor cooking. For the scallops, we also used a cast iron grill pan placed on top of the grill and heated for a few minutes. What ever method you use, be careful that the delicate scallops do not stick to the grill and tear when you try to move them. To prevent sticking, we oiled our grill pan with avocado oil.
After marinating, remove the scallops and place on a flat tray or pan. Sprinkle The Original or The Rojo Spice Blends on the scallops. Place scallops on the grill with the seasoned side down on each side, cooking until opaque (usually 2-3 minutes). Before flipping to cook the second side, sprinkle on more spice. When cooked, remove from heat. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Variations
1. For a slightly different taste, substitute the juice and zest of one lime for the lemon. Instead of parsley, use cilantro.
2. For a sweet and mild spicy flavor, substitute the juice and zest of an orange for the lemon. Use Little Bottles The Java Spice Blend instead of The Original or The Rojo.
