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A scallop is not always what it seems. There are two kinds you can buy - wet and dry - and often it is not noted which is which.

According to Gus Nikoletsos, high priest of fish purveyors in Toronto and owner of City Fish (2929 Dufferin St.), dry scallops are taken straight from the shell and are all natural. Wet scallops have been soaked in a preservative to give them a longer shelf life. Guess which ones you want.

Wet scallops "don't cook as well," Nikoletsos says, " because the water leaches out and you can't get good colour on them. Dry ones not only look better, but they taste much better too."

Wet scallops are more commonly available (if they are sitting in some milky liquid, they are usually wet scallops). Although cheaper than dry ones, you are paying for a percentage of water. If you want the dry ones, you'll often have to ask the fish monger.

When it comes to cooking, scallops are sweet, meaty and pair well with strongly flavoured spices as well as meat. Scallops with bacon are an old favourite, but swap in luscious pork belly to take the dish to new heights.

I have also had scallops with rich oxtail, but my favourite way is paired with chorizo. The smoky hotness of the chorizo balances the scallops' sweetness beautifully. If you can find the large U10 dry scallops, two for each person is plenty. Use three if your scallops are smaller.

SCALLOPS WITH CHORIZO

I used smoked Spanish chorizo, but any spicy smoked sausage will have the same effect.

What you need

1 tablespoon olive oil

12 ¼-inch slices chorizo, skin removed

8 to 12 scallops

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salad:

2 cups of baby red oak leaf lettuce

¼ cup mint leaves, torn

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

What you do

Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add chorizo and sauté for 30 seconds per side or until crisped.

Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat from pan. Cut chorizo into batons when cooled, and reserve.

Season scallops with salt and pepper.

Return skillet to medium-high heat.

Add scallops to skillet and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side or until well seared and slightly opaque in the middle.

Divide lettuce and mint among four plates and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Pour lemon juice over scallops in pan. Transfer immediately to the serving plates. Drizzle over any pan juices. Sprinkle with chorizo. Serves 4

CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CREAMY SALSA VERDE

This full-flavoured chicken is first poached and then baked. This gives it lots of flavour as it cooks in the seasoned liquid.

It is then finished in the oven for extra crispness. What you need

3 cups chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, sliced

½ cup chopped onions

1 tablespoon thyme sprigs

½ teaspoon Spanish hot paprika

8 chicken thighs, on the bone, skin on (about 2 pounds, 4 ounces)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian parsley

½ teaspoon chopped anchovy fillets

¼ cup whipping cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper

What you do

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Combine stock, garlic, onions, thyme and paprika in a wide pot over high heat. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add chicken thighs and poach for 10 minutes or until still slightly pink. Remove thighs to a baking sheet, skin side up, and brush with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Place chicken in oven and roast until crispy and juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

While chicken is roasting, reduce stock on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until it has thickened slightly and is full of flavour. Skim fat from sauce as needed.

Stir in parsley, anchovies and cream.

Simmer for 2 minutes longer or until sauce coats the back of a spoon. Serve chicken with sauce. Serves 4

PROSCIUTTO-WRAPPED

ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH POPCORN CAPERS

Thick spears of asparagus work best with this recipe. Serve with the chicken thighs, steaks or as a first course with a side salad.

What you need

24 asparagus spears

12 slices prosciutto

Olive oil for brushing

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon capers

What you do

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Peel asparagus if thick. Wrap each spear in half a slice of prosciutto. Brush with oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 6 minutes depending on thickness, turning spears halfway through cooking.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add capers and fry for 2 minutes or until beginning to pop.

Pour capers and oil over asparagus and serve. Serves 4

APRICOT JALOUSIES

My mother used to make this all the time with leftover puff pastry.

The quality of the puff pastry matters. Buy all-butter frozen pastry. Many bakeries, especially the French ones, sell superior pastry frozen by the pound.

Serve with ice cream.

What you need

250 grams (½-pound) puff pastry, rolled out thinly to about 10-by-10-inch square

¼ cup apricot jam

1 egg white, frothed

Granulated sugar for sprinkling

What you do

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cut pastry into two 5x10-inch strips. Cut each strip in half so you end up with four strips and chill on a baking sheet.

Fold two strips in half lengthwise and, with scissors, cut slits, ½-inch apart, leaving about 1 inch at the ends.

Spread 2 tablespoons apricot jam down the centre of one strip. Paint with egg white all around strip.

Place the cut sheet on top and seal edges.

Brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar. Repeat with remaining pastry and filling.

Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes or until pastry is golden. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet then remove to a rack. Cut in pieces.

Serves 4 to 6 as a dessert or more as a little nibble.

lwaverman@globeandmail.com