Tomato ‘nduja butter baked scallops

A low-effort / high return small plate, perfect for enjoying alongside of crisp glass of white wine on a sunny afternoon. There’s minimal prep involved, making this a wonderful entertainer’s dish. Leftover compound butter can be used for lots of other things from toast to pasta or even served on steak or rubbed over chicken before roasting - it’s truly a versatile recipe.

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If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I love nothing more than a glass of wine and a small plate. It’s one of my favourite ways to while away an afternoon, especially as the months get warmer and the sun starts to really shine.

These easy baked scallops are the perfect small plate and fantastic for entertaining. All you really need to do is pick up some scallops from your fishmonger and whip up a very easy compound butter flavoured with tomato and nduja! Easy to prep and make ahead, so you can simply throw these in the oven when you’re ready. I love pairing this with a Chablis style Chardonnay, Vermentino or Fiano - somethings citrusy and fresh to cut through the buttery richness of the scallops, with enough acidity to balance the tomato and nduja.

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Tomato 'nduja butter baked scallops'

Makes enough compound butter for roughly two dozen scallops

Ingredients 

• 85g unsalted butter, room temp

• 45g tomato paste

• 25g ‘nduja paste

• up to 24 scallops in the shell, side muscle removed

Method

1. Add all of the ingredients for the compound butter to a food processor and blitz until combined.

2. Roll into a log using clingfilm - place dollops of the compound butter in a horizontal line in the middle of the sheet, then roll the top edge down over the butter leaving an overhang of clingfilm.

3. Use a bench scraper to push the butter up away from you to form this into a log shape, then continue to roll this up and tighten the ends.

4. Refrigerate until solid - at least 1 hour.

5. Cut small rounds off the butter log, and place on top of your scallops.

6. Preheat an oven to 200c, then baked the scallops on a baking tray for 10-12 minutes (depending on size) until cooked through.

7. If cooking in a pizza oven, this will really only take a minute or two total - check the scallops halfway and be mindful that the shells can crack under open flame.

8. If you like you can use a blow torch to add a little extra char to the scallops, but this really isn’t a necessary step.

9. Serve immediately.