One of the joys of moving to a new country is learning the language. When it comes to French, it's a relearning process. After 11 years in the Netherlands speaking Dutch, I lost a lot of my French, which is annoying because I used to speak it quite fluently. One way to learn a language is to watch cooking shows; I find it helps a lot. That's actually where I discovered this recipe while watching Top Chef. Here's my interpretation of a Paul Pairet recipe, a simpler and more accessible version. It's still just as delicious. I replaced the teriyaki marinade with an oyster sauce, soy sauce, and mirin marinade. The trick is to cook it over direct heat, not on the griddle.

10 ml soy sauce
10 ml oyster sauce
10 ml mirin
2 g freshly ground black pepper
10 medium sized scallops
5 mushrooms
2 large metal skewers (I used these for cooking and not the wooden ones featured in the picture)

Cut the scallops in half to obtain 2 rings

Cut the mushrooms in the same way, so that you get round slices that match the shape of the scallops. Make sure there are no holes in the slices; they should be whole.

In a bowl, mix the mirin, soy sauce, oyster sauce and black pepper.

Place the scallop slices in the marinade and let stand for 15 minutes

Begin threading the scallops and mushroom slices onto the skewers, alternating between the scallops and mushrooms. Make sure they are threaded evenly and centered on the skewer. You'll want to leave some space at each end so you can rest the skewer on the edge of the grill.

Prepare your barbecue for direct cooking at 200°C

Remove the griddle and place the skewers on the edges over the coals (make sure you wear heat-resistant gloves when doing this!)

Cook the scallops for 30 seconds on each side, basting them with the marinade as you turn them over. Continue cooking for about three minutes to cook them thoroughly.