I don’t think there’s anything terribly exciting about grilled scallops—but I do think you can put them together with interesting ingredients and make them exciting. That’s why I pair scallops with—wait for it—watermelon! I know, who would think of putting scallops with watermelon, let alone three kinds (watermelon, watermelon rind pickles, and watermelon radishes)? It may seem wacky, but the sweetness of the watermelon offset by the bitterness of the dandelion and the sharp red onion makes this a spectacular combo. And, if you’re thinking ahead (like we always try to do!), make the pickles a day (or a week) in advance and keep them in the fridge. These pickles make anything taste tangy and delicious; I keep a jar on hand for whenever a salad or sammie needs an extra little pickle-y punch!
Recipe information
Yield
serves: 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Carefully cut the rind off the watermelon. Using a mandoline or a sharp vegetable peeler, shave the rind into wide ribbons about 1/8 inch thick. In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and red pepper. Add the watermelon rind ribbons and let stand at room temperature for at least an hour (BTW—this can totally be done yesterday).
Step 2
Meanwhile, dice the watermelon flesh into 1/2-inch pieces and reserve.
Step 3
When the watermelon pickles are done, heat the grill.
Step 4
Brush the scallops with olive oil and season with salt. Place on the grill and cook until grill marks appear, about 1 minute, then rotate the scallops 90 degrees and let the grill marks develop in the other direction (what you’re going for here are those lovely crosshatch grill marks!). Turn the scallops over and repeat; the scallops are done when they’re no longer translucent, about 2 minutes each side.
Step 5
While the scallops cook, drain the rind pickles, reserving their liquid. Toss the reserved watermelon, the rind pickles, watermelon radish, dandelion greens, and red onion together in a large bowl. Dress the salad with 2 tablespoons of the pickling liquid and some olive oil. TASTE! Adjust seasonings and dressing if needed.
Step 6
Arrange the deliciously dressed salad in a tall pile just off the center of four salad plates. Cut the scallops equatorially (through the middle, like the equator) and lay the disks slightly overlapping, grilled side up, on the salad. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
