Galician Broiled Scallops

Galicia is an autonomous community of Spain located on the Northwest Iberian Peninsula, bordered by Portugal to the south, the Spanish autonomous communities of Castile and Leon and Asturias to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Cantabrian Sea to the north. It takes its name from the Gallaeci, the Celtic people living north of the Douro River during the last millennium BC. There are two languages spoken in Galicia. They are the native Galician, a Romance language closely related to Portuguese with which it shares the Galician-Portuguese medieval literature; and Spanish, usually known locally as Castilian. 

Galicia is one of Spain’s top seafood regions, and many of its most famous dishes are based on fish or shellfish. The region even celebrates seafood at the famous O Grove Seafood Festival. I made an American/Jeanne-style version of Galician broiled scallops for dinner. I made the recipe as a main dish, whereas in Spain, and particularly in Galicia, where this dish originated, it is served as a small dish or as a tapa(s). Traditionally it is served in the scallop shell to make for a better presentation. This was the first of three different dishes I used the sweet Spanish tomato sauce for. Make it Saucy, Spanish Style. I made it according to the recipe for the first meal (for the most part), and then we ate it on its own, served over rice for the leftovers. We actually liked it better served on its own, on top of rice, than we did when I followed the recipe. This is often the case when I follow recipes. 🙂 I will give you the recipe as I followed it, and let you decide which is the best way to enjoy it.

Galician Broiled Scallops

2/3 cup olive oil

2 shallots, sliced very thin

1 TBSP garlic

2 TBSP paprika

1 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup Spanish tomato sauce

salt & pepper to taste

2 lbs sea scallops or large scallops

olive oil and butter for cooking

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Parsley for topping

Shredded Parmigiano cheese for topping

I also added some diced red bell peppers and some asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces. I started off by following the recipe, but I knew it needed more since I was making it as a main dish. These are optional additions.

Sautee the scallops first in a combination of olive oil and butter, for about 5 minutes, remove them and set aside.

In the same oil/butter combination, add the peppers, onions, shallots, paprika and salt and pepper. Cook for about about 2 minutes.

Add the wine and continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until the liquid evaporates and the sauce starts to thicken.

Here is where I started venturing off and went a bit rogue. I actually see what I did wrong here too. I should have added the tomato sauce here, but I miss read the recipe. By adding the tomato sauce here, the dish would have been more like the sofrito it was supposed to be. Oh well. Next time. I did NOT add the tomato sauce here, but instead I spread it on the bottom of my baking dish. It did not make much of a difference, but even I make mistakes every now and then. 🙂

Add the asparagus, if using, and re-add the scallops back into the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 375* F or 190* C.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Because I went rogue, and did things a bit differently, I spread the tomato sauce on the bottom of my baking pan. I had some leftover wild rice and lentils that I added as well, again, to make it more of a meal. Vegan Rice and Lentils I layered my dish.

Next came a layer of the scallop sauce.

Finished with the breadcrumbs, Parmigiano cheese and parsley.

Once the toppings are on, place the dish in the oven and bake or broil, for about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese starts to crust over. Now, had I actually followed the directions, I would have mixed most of the tomato sauce into the scallop mixture, and had a little left over to top the scallops with after removing the dish from the oven. To serve this as part of a tapas meal, serve it in a small dish, turn the oven temperature up higher and broil for about 5 minutes, then top each dish with a dollop of the remaining tomato sauce and serve. Like I said, mine was not all that different, but I chose to make a different presentation. The ingredients were the same, but the methods were not. As I always say, “play with your food. Have fun with it”.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.