There’s just something about British food and cooking experts that I love. There are the boisterous ones like Gordon Ramsay, and then there’s his complete opposite – Nigel Slater. They’re both brilliant. And fascinating!
Nigel Slater is not a trained chef. In fact, “while he has experience in restaurants, he identifies as an amateur cook who prefers to cook and write about food on his own terms, not in a commercial restaurant setting.”
Slater has a tv show called Simple Cooking, on BBC. It is filmed in his home that is extremely simplistic, just what one would expect. From the show I was inspired to make his Salmon with Chutney, which is wonderful. In that post you can read more of my take on Slater. I refer to his look as “a schoolboy who was forced out of bed!”
His autobiography is called Toast, which also became a movie, chronicling a bittersweet story of his dealing with a rough adolescence, the death of his mother, as well as a challenging father. Throughout it all, he discovers his love of food and cooking. I’ve only seen the movie, and highly recommend it.
This recipe, actually a starter, is from episode 2, called Surf and Turf. I made a large plate of this simple and magnificent combination of ingredients and shared with friends. It was thoroughly enjoyed! I couldn’t find the show again to re-watch, so I hope I made it properly.
Scallops with Chorizo
Fresh scallops, about 2 dozen
Olive oil
Spanish chorizo, about 5 ounces
Green onions
Red Thai chile peppers
A drizzle of honey
Rinse the scallops and place them on paper towels to dry off.
Add a small drizzle of olive to a large skillet. Heat over medium and sauté chorizo so that it softens and releases some fat. I first removed the skin from the chorizo.
Remove from the pan and place in bowl. Then add the green onions and chile peppers and sauté until somewhat soft. Place them in the bowl.
Turn up the heat more in the pan and add the scallops, allowing them to brown. Turn them over and brown them on the other side, about 3-4 minutes per “side” depending on their size.
When the scallops are cooked, toss them gently with the other ingredients and place in serving bowl.
Lightly drizzle with some runny honey and serve.
The honey adds a magical touch to this dish. Incredible.
If you love Nigel Slater’s writings, check out The Christmas Chronicles. Maybe my most favorite book ever.