Nigel Slater’s recipe for grilled scallops, lime and basil butter

Chop 15g of basil leaves and put them in a mortar. Add a pinch of sea salt and 50g of softened butter. Mash together with the pestle until you have a green, creamy herb butter, then season with a few drops of lime juice. Set aside in a cool place.

Heat a griddle pan, then place 12 medium-sized scallops on the hot pan and leave, without moving them, for 2 minutes or until the underside of each is golden in colour. Using a palette knife, turn the scallops over and let the other side cook.

Transfer the scallops to 2 warm plates, then add the basil butter to the pan and let it melt and sizzle. As soon as the butter has melted, pour it over the scallops, add a few loose basil leaves and a last squeeze of lime. Serves 2

This is one of the quickest of summer suppers, cooked in minutes, but you will probably need an accompaniment. My favourite is a plate of sauté potatoes. They need to be started a good 15 minutes before you begin the scallops. Peel 1 large potato per person. Slice into rounds approximately as thick as £1 coin, then fry in olive oil and a little butter until golden. Remove from the pan as each becomes ready and drain on kitchen paper, then salt lightly.

If you prefer, you can cook the scallops in a frying pan. Get the pan really hot before adding the scallops. (If you cook them at too low a temperature, or in a pan whose sides are too high, they will steam rather than fry and the result will not be anything like as good.)

A delightful alternative is to make a tarragon butter, using the leaves from 20g of tarragon stems and a drop or two of lemon juice, rather than lime.

The Observer aims to publish recipes for seafood rated as sustainable by the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide

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