RECIPE
I found this recipe in a Francis Mallmann cookbook and loved it! It’s amazing how so few ingredients can bring out so much flavor. But why the name? Originally, when I cooked this dish I started with five scallops, but as I set up for the photo, turning my back for just a second, a seagull swooped in leaving me with four. Damn bird!
First thing you want to do is prepare your parsley-garlic sauce. In a mixing bowl, combine your minced parsley and garlic. Slowly add your ½ cup of olive oil, whisking your mixture as you do so. Season with some salt and pepper.
Next, heat up a skillet on your stovetop, waiting four or five minutes so it gets real hot. While the skillet is heating up, it’s time to prepare your scallops. Coat each scallop generously with your parsley-garlic sauce.
Once your skillet is hot, brush on a tablespoon of olive oil. Add your scallops and let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip them over and allow them to cook for 2 more minutes on the other side. Plate your scallops and serve with some lemon wedges.
Remember, as Mallmann points out in his book, don’t touch your scallops while they are cooking on each side. If you do, they won’t develop that beautiful brown crust seagulls love. Enjoy.
-Al