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Cream 2 tablespoons chunky natural peanut butter with ¼ teaspoon minced garlic, minced fresh chiles or cayenne to taste, 1 teaspoon sugar, and sufficient soy sauce to make a thin paste. Use this paste as you would the basil paste and use peanut oil to sauté the scallops. When the scallops are done, put them on a bed of lightly steamed or sautéed bitter greens, such as dandelion or mustard. Turn the heat under the skillet to low and add 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice. Cook, stirring, for about 10 seconds, then pour the pan juices over the scallops and greens and serve, drizzled with a little more peanut oil if you like.

MISO-BROILED SCALLOPS

MAKES 4 APPETIZER SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

A DISH THAT harnesses the complexity of miso to make a simple, quick, and highly flavored appetizer.

⅓ cup miso

1½ tablespoons mirin, fruity white wine, or dry white wine

½ cup minced onion

Salt

Cayenne

1 pound sea scallops

Juice of 1 lime

1. Preheat the broiler or start a grill, setting the rack as close as possible to the heat source. Put the miso in a bowl, add the mirin or wine, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the onion, a little bit of salt, and a pinch of cayenne. Add the scallops and marinate while the broiler or grill preheats; or refrigerate for up to a day.

2. Broil until lightly browned, without turning, 2 to 3 minutes, or grill, turning once after a minute or two. Sprinkle with the lime juice and serve with toothpicks.

SCALLOPS

A WORD ABOUT buying scallops: Many are dipped in a chemical solution to prolong their shelf life. Not coincidentally, this soaking causes them to absorb water, which increases their weight and—water being cheaper than scallops—decreases their value. Furthermore, the added water makes browning more difficult. You can recognize processed scallops by their stark white color; in addition, they are usually sitting in liquid at the store. Buy dry, beige (or slightly pink or orange) scallops from a reliable fishmonger and you won’t have a problem.

Many cooks remove the tough little hinge present on one side of most scallops before cooking. But when you’re stuffing scallops, leave it on and cut from the side directly opposite. The hinge will then serve the purpose of holding the scallop together and can be removed at the table or eaten; it’s slightly tough, but not unpleasant.

SCALLOPS A LA PLANCHA

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

TIME: 20 MINUTES

THE SCALLOP IS ideal for fast cooking, because even a large scallop needs only to be browned on both sides to complete its cooking. A good sear on the outside caramelizes the shellfish’s natural sugars and leaves the interior cool, creamy, and delicious.

1½ pounds sea or bay scallops

1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly crushed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Minced fresh parsley for garnish

1. Toss the scallops and the garlic on a plate and drizzle with the oil and vinegar; sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn over a couple of times. Go about your business for 5 minutes.

2. Preheat a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over high heat. When the skillet smokes—this will take a couple of minutes—add the scallops (leave the liquid behind), not all at once. By the time you’ve added the last scallop, the first one will probably be browned on one side, so begin turning them. Cook until brown on both sides but still rare in the center. (You must work more quickly with bay scallops—add them a few at a time and turn them quickly; you may even have to work in batches to keep them from overcooking.)

3. Serve, drizzled with the juices from the plate and garnished with the parsley.

VARIATIONS

Shrimp or Squid a la Plancha

This technique works perfectly with both shrimp and squid. Keep the cooking time especially short for squid or it will get tough.

• Another option is to vary the kind of oil, vinegar, seasoning, and garnish as you like. For example, use peanut oil with scallions and peeled fresh ginger, then garnish with a drizzle of soy sauce or fresh cilantro for a completely different