SCALLOPS are a real favourite on restaurant menus and are always snapped up quickly when they are served here at The Side Door.

Scallops, like most seafood are often regarded as a treat, but they are now widely available to buy in supermarkets and fishmongers and shouldn’t be reserved purely for eating out.

There are several different scallop varieties. King or Great scallops can be 6in in diameter whereas Queen scallops fit neatly into the palm of your hand. Princesses belong to the same species but are not much bigger than a 50 pence coin. As always, buy fresh if you can, but frozen ones can be just as good and are more affordable.

For this recipe for Herb Crusted Scallops with Roasted Tinkerbell Chilli (serves two) you will need: 110g (4oz) fresh breadcrumbs, 30g (1oz) Piquillo pepper, diced, ½ tsp lemon zest, two cloves garlic, finely chopped, a handful of flat leaf parsley, shredded, 60g (2oz) nibbed almonds, extra virgin olive oil, 10 queen scallops (in the shell if possible) cleaned and seasoned. To serve you will need lemon wedges, salad leaves, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas mark 4). In a small bowl mix the breadcrumbs, Piquillo pepper, lemon zest, chopped garlic, parsley and nibbed almonds. Moisten with olive oil and cover the scallops (still in their shells) with the mixture.

Place the filled scallop shells on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven for ten minutes and then finish under a hot grill until they are golden brown. Don’t overcook them or they will become tough and rubbery.

For the Roasted Tinkerbell Chilli take: one Tinkerbell chilli, cut in half through the stalk and deseeded, two cherry vine tomatoes, one clove garlic halved, one small leaf of basil, torn in half and olive oil for drizzling.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas mark 4). Fill the Tinkerbell chilli halves with the tomatoes, garlic halves and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and place in a roasting tin and roast for an hour in the preheated oven.

Serve the warm scallops with the roasted Tinkerbell chilli (at room temperature), lemon wedges and some salad leaves dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

Next, why not try Seared Scallops with Pea Puree, Crispy Bacon and Mint Oil. It serves six, and the flavours are a real classic combination with the mint oil adding a subtle variation. Always use the mint oil on the same day though otherwise it will discolour.

For the pea puree take: 225g (8oz) English garden peas, shelled or frozen weight, four mint leaves, salt and pepper and 55g (2oz) unsalted butter.

For the scallops you will need: six slices of good quality streaky bacon, rind removed and cut into thirds, eighteen large king scallops (preferably Cornish) with the muscle and roe removed, Malden sea salt and mild olive oil for frying.

For the mint oil take: 100ml (3½ fl oz ) mild olive oil, three large sprigs of mint, stems removed and ¼ tsp caster sugar.

Lastly, you will need: 100ml (3½ fl oz) light olive oil, one tbsp white wine vinegar, ½ tsp Dijon mustard and 1 tsp runny honey to make an additional honey vinaigrette.

For the mint oil put all the ingredients into a blender and whiz. Chill for two hours to let the flavour develop and then strain.

Cook the peas with the mint in salted, boiling water until just tender, but not soft. Drain and refresh in very cold water. Next, puree the peas in a blender until very smooth, or push through a sieve.

Grill the bacon, put it on kitchen paper and keep warm. Heat two large frying pans until very hot but not smoking. Season the scallops on both sides with sea salt and add 1 tbsp of mild olive oil to each pan and then the scallops. They should sizzle. Cook each scallop for 45 seconds on each side then remove from the pan and keep somewhere warm.

Whisk all the honey vinaigrette ingredients together. Divide the pea puree between six warmed plates and place three pieces of bacon across each portion. Arrange three scallops around the puree and drizzle with the mint oil. Serve with some fresh lamb’s lettuce or salad leaves dressed with the honey vinaigrette on top.

* Sheila Benson and Sean Millar are at The Side Door, 29a Hope Street, Liverpool. Tel: 0151 707 7888.