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Epicurious

Grilled Scallops with Nori, Ginger, and Lime

4.3

(10)

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Three sets of scallop skewers plated with bright green pieces of lime
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Amy Wilson, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou

We always seek out dry scallops, which will sear and caramelize better. Ask your fishmonger before you buy—it really makes a difference. To make them easier to grill, we thread the scallops onto sets of two skewers, not one, so they don't spin around willy-nilly when you pick them up. Then hang the skewers off the edge of the grill so you can pick them up with your (gloved) hands—no need for tongs.

Ingredients

4 servings

1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
Kosher salt
1 toasted nori sheet
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for grill
12 large dry sea scallops, side muscles removed, patted dry
1/2 lime
3 scallions, dark green parts only, very thinly sliced
1 tsp. Aleppo-style or other mild red pepper flakes or gochugaru (coarse Korean red pepper powder)

Special Equipment:

A spice mill; eight 8" wooden skewers, soaked at least 1 hour

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Mix mayonnaise, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp. water in a small bowl; set lime mayo aside.

    Step 2

    Finely grind nori in spice mill. Transfer half to a small bowl; set aside for serving. Transfer remaining nori to a large bowl and mix in coriander, ginger, and 2 Tbsp. oil. Add scallops and toss to coat.

    Step 3

    Thread 3 scallops onto 2 skewers. (This will keep scallops in place and make them easy to turn. You can also use this method for shrimp and small peppers like shishito and Padrón.) Repeat with remaining scallops and skewers. Season both sides with salt.

    Step 4

    Clean and oil grate, then immediately place scallops on the outside edge of the grill so that the skewers are hanging off the side. Grill, turning scallops with handles of skewers, until grill marks appear and scallops are just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side, depending on their size.

    Step 5

    Spread lime mayo on a platter and place skewers with scallops on top. Finely grate zest from lime half over, then squeeze juice over. Top with scallions and sprinkle with Aleppo-style pepper and reserved nori.

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Reviews (10)

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  • Meh. Not bad, but nothing special. I certainly wouldn't make it again.

    • schindlr

    • Jupiter, FL

    • 8/15/2021

  • Delicious. Grilled scallops are always great, but the combination of the lime, mayonaise and nori is incredible: the earthy richness of nori is the perfect foil for the tartness of the lime mayo.

    • tom martin

    • Minneapolis

    • 6/9/2020

  • Delicious. Will make this again. Easy and quick to prep. Cooked on the grill in minutes. Nice presentation. Clean up is a whiz. Checks all the boxes.

    • candjpascual8327

    • Florida

    • 5/17/2020

  • Made this on the grill for a dinner with friends. Everyone raved. Light, tasty, and pepper gave it a kick. I made two mayo's one as instructed and the second one with a touch of chipotle pepper. Both mayos were well received. I think that the added smokiness of the chipotle worked well with the grilled scallops. Will do again the next time I have a large group.

    • cdma1

    • SC

    • 4/26/2020

  • This is the 2nd time I've made this. First time on the barbecue as written and this time in the frypan. Delicious both times. I didn't have Nori so omitted it both times. This time, because it is rainy and cold out, I decided to fry the scallions with the scallops and that was good. I also had a little lime juice left over from the mayo sauce so I deglazed the pan with it. The taste of lime with the scallops is so refreshing! Definitely a keeper.

    • cswoveland

    • Victoria BC

    • 10/21/2019

  • This was delicious and so easy to make! I pan-sauted the scallops instead of grilling them and I was out of nori, so just made this without that. Will definitely make this again.

    • ercwjm

    • CT

    • 9/5/2019

  • Elegant and delicious! Its a must to use dry scallops, the best you can find.

    • jeri_l

    • NYC

    • 8/25/2019

  • This looked like it was going to be so good. It wasn't. The nori gave the scallops an overly fishy taste. The lime mayonnaise was thick and sour and didn't complement the scallops at all. Feeling low key resentful this recipe got put on the BA cover and I wasted my time making it.

    • emooney

    • 7/8/2019

  • The first really amazing scallop starter I’ve cooked that is different and better than anything I’ve had before, including restaurants. A definite on my list for dinner parties ! I cooked mine on the hob in a ridged frying pan rather than the grill and perfectly browned and I just felt easier to control the length of cooking.

    • Stuart

    • Cheshire, UK

    • 4/22/2024

  • So good a major crowd pleaser. I used shrimp instead of scallops. Coated a lb of 16/20 shrimp in spice mix (without salt) and threw into 400F oven for 5 min. Taste the mayo sauce bit by bit until you get the balance of flavours you enjoy. I only used an 1/8 of lime at the end to finish.

    • Stephanie Liu

    • Toronto, Canada

    • 12/21/2023

TagsScallopShellfishSeafoodNoriSeaweedLimeCitrusFruitMainStarterDinnerDairy FreeGluten FreeQuickEasyWeeknight MealsGrillingBon Appétit

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