Recipe to try this week: SPQR's oven-baked scallops

Oven-baked scallops. Picture / Tamara West

This dish was introduced by S.P.Q.R's chef Giovanni Pisu, who hails from Sardinia. It is a crowd favourite and very simple to make. Perfect for those lazy Sunday afternoons when you just feel like kicking back. A dry white wine goes best with this dish.

OVEN-BAKED SCALLOPS
Serves 4

• Herb & Butter Mix
• 2 tbsp each: chopped mint, basil and Italian parsley
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 100g butter, softened
• ¾ cup breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
• 12 scallops, plus shells for serving
• brandy, for drizzling
• ¼ cup Parmesan powder
• 200g rock salt
• lemon wedges and extra virgin olive oil, to garnish

1. Place all Herb & Butter Mix ingredients in a food processor and mix until well combined. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

2. Preheat oven to 200°C.

3. Lay the scallop shells on a baking tray. Place one fresh scallop in each shell. Put 1 teaspoon of Herb & Butter Mix on each scallop. Drizzle scallops with brandy and add a light sprinkle of Parmesan powder to each shell. Bake in oven for 8 minutes.

4. Place a portion of rock salt in the centre of each plate, spreading outwards. Remove scallops from oven and arrange shells on top of salt. Garnish each dish with a wedge of lemon and drizzle with olive oil.

• Reproduced with permission from S.P.Q.R. Published by Penguin Group NZ. RRP $60. Copyright © text S.P.Q.R, 2014. Copyright photography © Tamara West, 2014.