This might be the easiest, tastiest scallop recipe you’ll ever make. My Chief Taste Tester says these were the best scallops he’s ever had. Cleanup is a breeze, too! 

My stumbling upon the idea was purely pragmatic, although it seems so obvious in retrospect. Some months ago, I wanted to use up some leftover dilly-lemon I had in my freezer. 

I had frozen several batches of it last year, intending to use it on salmon, but had a long dry spell where I couldn’t find any decent fresh fish here. It was among ninety meals I had made and frozen in preparation for not being able to cook for two to three months while I had my kitchen and hip renovated simultaneously. Hey, if you’re not going to have a kitchen anyway, you might as well schedule your surgery for the same time, right? I used my microwave, Instant Pot, and grill to cook, and paper plates to serve. It worked out really well. As it turned out, though, I was cooking in two months. Once the kitchen was done, I couldn’t resist! The time came to use up the rest of those meals so I could sell the upright freezer I bought for them. There are times I wish I’d kept it, if only I’d been able to find someplace acceptable to put it, but that’s another story. I had a package of frozen scallops left, too, and then the lightbulb went on over my head. Honestly, this dilly-lemon stuff is so good, you could probably cook anything with it!

Ingredients:

 

1 or 2 untreated cedar planks 

1 pound scallops (if using frozen, thaw first)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp minced fresh dill

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon lemon zest

Preparation:

1. Soak the cedar plank in water for 30 minutes. Put something heavy on it so it stays covered with the water (I use a glass honey jar).

2. Preheat your gas grill on high for 3 – 5 minutes. If you prefer a charcoal grill, just build the fire on one half. Start it when you start the plank soaking, so it has plenty of time to get very hot. For the plank’s smoke to do its magic, you do need a covered grill.

Mix the oil, garlic, dill, salt, pepper and lemon zest in a medium bowl.

3. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels, then add to the bowl and toss to coat.

4. Arrange the scallops on the plank(s) so that they don’t touch. Place the plank(s) on the hot grill grate (on the side without the fire, if using a charcoal grill) and close the cover.

 

5. Cook covered until scallops are just opaque throughout, 4 to 5 minutes. The internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer should read 145º F (62.8º C). Be careful not to overcook, or the scallops will be rubbery.

I use a wide fish spatula to lift the whole planks, scallops and all, rather than trying to chase each scallop across a slippery plank on a hot grill. I save that for the more controlled environment of the kitchen. A sheet pan with a little water sprayed on it first works great for transporting the plank(s) back to the house.