Seared Spanish Sea Scallops With Saffron
Try a tasty seared Spanish sea scallop recipe with saffron and serrano ham for a delicious dish from Galicia in northern Spain.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 20sea scallops
- Kosher salt
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1medium sweet onion, chopped finely
- 4tablespoons chopped Serrano ham (cut into pieces the same size as the onion)
- Pinch of saffron
- 4tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- ⅓cup dry sherry or white wine
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
Step 1
Gather the ingredients.Step 2
Pat the scallops dry and salt each side with the kosher salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.Step 3
Add the olive oil to a large frying pan and heat over high heat until it's near the smoking point. Lower the heat to medium-high.Step 4
Pat the scallops dry one more time and lay them down in the hot oil to sear. Do not move them for at least 2 minutes.Step 5
Shake the pan a bit to see if they release themselves. Once they do, lift out and put on a plate, the seared side facing up.Step 6
Once the scallops are all seared on one side, add the onions and ham and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often to pick up any stuck-on bits from the pan.Step 7
Crumble the saffron over the pan, then add the parsley and sherry and stir well to combine.Step 8
Return the scallops to the pan, seared-side up. Make sure the scallops are resting on the pan, not on the onions.Step 9
Let this boil down vigorously until the sherry is almost gone, then turn off the heat and remove the scallops to the plate as you did before.Step 10
To assemble the dish, spoon out some of the onion-ham mixtures on a plate, drizzle a little lemon juice on it and then top with the scallops.