It was 85 degrees in Washington today, so naturally, I retreated to my building's rooftop oasis to kick off grilling season with Rodrigo, one of my fellow residents at Atlantic Plumbing. Whohoo! We enjoyed a light lunch of grilled bay scallops and a simple arugula and balsamic vinaigrette salad.

Admittedly, it was my first time grilling scallops. I must say that I prefer searing them over medium-high heat in a saucepan. The saucepan allows you to retain the necessary juices for an even, caramelized exterior; grilling the scallops produces a nice sear but you lose a lot of the marinade and the briny juices, which drip through the grates. The results were good, but next time I'll bake the scallops in their shells on the grill or sear them in a saucepan with butter. 

How do you like cooking your scallops?

recipe

• 1 pound good quality bay scallops
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced shallots
• 1 lemon
• Kosher salt
• ground black pepper
• 3-4 sprigs lemon thyme

1. Place the scallops in a medium-sized bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat.
2. Juice half the lemon and cut the other half into wedges for serving. Strip the lemon thyme leaves from their stems.
3. Season the scallops generously with the salt and pepper, then add the shallots, lemon juice and thyme. Toss again to evenly distribute the ingredients over the scallops.
4. Allow the scallops to marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
5. Grill for 2-3 minutes on both sides directly over high heat, or until they separate easily from the grate. Garnish with the lemon wedges and more of the thyme and serve immediately. 

If you make this recipe, hashtag a pic to #spiceandhutch and post to Instagram, Facebook and/or Twitter. I'd love to see your culinary creations!