Scallops with Ginger & Black Pepper

Pepper has been around since the first syllables of recorded time. An early culinary use was noted by Diphilus, a third century BC physician from the Greek island of Sifnos, who recommended it with scallops. It is indeed a time-honoured pairing, hot with sweet, and here employed millennia later across faraway seas.

Just as in ancient Greece, China was an early and enthusiastic consumer of imported peppercorns. In this recipe, ginger and pepper work together to bring a double hit of