How to Make Seared Spanish Sea Scallops Recipe

Name: Seared Spanish Sea Scallops With Saffron
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 20 sea scallops; Kosher salt; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium sweet onion, chopped finely; 4 tablespoons chopped Serrano ham (cut into pieces the same size as the onion); Pinch of saffron; 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley; 1/3 cup dry sherry or white wine; Juice of 1 lemon

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 10 mins

Total: 25 mins

Servings: 4 servings

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This is a wonderful sea scallop recipe from Galicia, in northern Spain. Combining scallops with cured meat is a widespread tradition everywhere―bacon is a common accompaniment―but here we use Spanish Serrano ham. If Serrano ham isn’t readily available, use any high-quality dry-cure ham, such as prosciutto. The scallops are seared hard on one side, then simmered with sweet onions, saffron, a little ham, dry sherry and finely chopped parsley. It's a great dish served simply with crusty bread and a green salad. Count on 5 scallops per person for the main course; this recipe serves 4 that way. You can also drop the scallops to three per person and serve this as an appetizer.

20 sea scallops
Kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped finely
4 tablespoons chopped Serrano ham, cut into pieces the same size as the onion
1 pinch saffron
4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/3 cup dry sherry, or white wine
1 lemon, juiced

Gather the ingredients.

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Pat the scallops dry and salt each side with the kosher salt. Set aside for 10 minutes.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Crumble the saffron over the pan, then add the parsley and sherry and stir well to combine.

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Return the scallops to the pan, seared-side up. Make sure the scallops are resting on the pan, not on the onions.

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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.

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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.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
226	Calories
9g	Fat
16g	Carbs
19g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	226
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g	11%
Saturated Fat 1g	7%
Cholesterol 38mg	13%
Sodium 926mg	40%
Total Carbohydrate 16g	6%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 26mg	130%
Calcium 43mg	3%
Iron 1mg	7%
Potassium 500mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.