• 4 extra-large scallops, skirt and roe removed, shells reserved
• sea herbs, such as samphire, sea purslane, stonecrop, to serve

Fennel Sand

• 75 g (2½ oz) almonds
• 50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
• pinch of Maldon salt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 50 g (1¾ oz) butter
• 18 g (¾ oz) fennel seeds

Seaweed Emulsion

• 100 g (3½ oz) seaweed
• 1 Lebanese (short) cucumber, quartered lengthways, seeds removed
• 400 ml (14 fl oz) vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Gremolata

• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 red chilli, deseeded
• 25 g (1 oz/1 bunch) chives
• 150 g (5½ oz/1 bunch) flat-leaf parsley
• 30 g (1 oz/1 bunch) chervil
• 1 lemon, zest
• 200 ml (7 fl oz) olive oil

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine the ingredients for the fennel sand in a blender and blitz until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs, then spread on the tray and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

Combine the seaweed, cucumber and vegetable oil for the seaweed emulsion. Blend for 4 minutes at 80°C (175°F) using a Thermomix. Alternatively, leave the seaweed and cucumber in a warm place, then blend the cucumber and seaweed for 10 minutes in a blender. Add vegetable oil and blend for a further 5 minutes. By hand, whisk the seaweed oil in a steady stream slowly into the rest of the ingredients to make a mayonnaise.

To make the gremolata, finely chop the garlic, chilli, chives, parsley, chervil, lemon zest and salt and pepper. Add some of the olive oil to the mixed ingredients, then continue chopping and adding more oil until you form a coarse dressing.

Toss the scallops in the gremolata. Put the scallops back in their shells, wrap with string and cook on a barbecue or chargrill for 7 minutes. Set scallops aside to rest for 2 minutes. Cut the string and remove the top shell.