As part of my last grilling class, I wanted to show mostly simple dished to grill.  I included steaks, asparagus, pineapple and onions.  But I also wanted to give the participants something that was a bit more upscale, while still not being anything difficult.

What I came up with was a favorite appetizer around my house: cedar planked scallops!
The ingredients are simple:

• Cedar plank, soaked for 2+ hours in water
• Very fresh sea scallops
• 1/2 as many prosciutto slices as there are scallops
• 1 Rosemary twig per each scallop
• Grey salt
• Black pepper

Starting with the rosemary twigs, you take a stem of rosemary about 2
inches long and cut the end at an angle.  Strip off the needles on the
bottom half of the rosemary, and it’s done.  Very easy to do.  The idea
is that the now-pointed end will be used kind of like a toothpick to
hold everything together.

Next, cut the prosciutto strips in half lengthwise.  Take one half
strip and wrap it around a scallop; use the rosemary twig to hold the prosciutto in place, piercing the prosciutto and the scallop.  Continue
until all the scallops are wrapped. 

Over a medium-hot fire, place the cedar plank and coat with a thin
layer of canola or vegetable oil, and then close the grill lid.  When
the plank starts to smoke, open the grill and place the scallops on the
plank. 

It takes about 15-20 minutes for large scallops to finish cooking; you
can tell that they’re done when the scallops turn opaque and just start
to flake a bit.  Take them off and serve to your guests (or horde them
all to yourself!)  They can be entrees or appetizers; as appetizers, they’re finger food, as the rosemary twigs can be used to pick them up.

A great way to serve them is on the cedar plank, but the one that you
cooked on will still be smoking.  What you can do is take a plank that
isn’t soaked and put it over the coals to just start charring the wood,
then take it back off and let it cool off.  Then use that plank to
serve… Your friends are sure to enjoy them!

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