Total Time
20 minutes
This recipe proves that spiced cured pork and delicate shellfish are a match made in one-skillet weeknight-dinner heaven. You’ll start by searing scallops on one side over high heat to develop a golden brown crust, then build a sauce from salty chorizo, lots of garlic, and bright Sun Gold tomatoes (you can use any variety of cherry tomatoes, but that vibrant yellow hue can’t be beat). Nestle the scallops back into the sauce for the last few minutes to cook through and serve with toast for a bright, satisfying meal that comes together in just 20 minutes.
It’s worth it to seek out Spanish chorizo—a firm, cured pork product like salami—for this dish, if you can. Unlike Mexican chorizo, which is raw spiced ground pork sold loose or in sausage casings, the Spanish variety is well-salted and already cooked, so it only requires a minute or two in the pan to crisp up and render out some flavorful fat to sizzle with your sauce’s aromatic base.
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What you’ll need
Large Skillet
$74 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Slotted Spoon
$11 At Amazon
Glass Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Ingredients
4 servings
12
½
2
6
1½
2
1
6
2
1
Preparation
Step 1
Season 12 large dry sea scallops, side muscles removed, patted dry, with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and sprinkle with ½ tsp. smoked paprika. Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over high. Cook scallops until golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes (no need to brown on the other side). Transfer to a plate and arrange, browned side up.
Step 2
Reduce heat to medium-high and cook 6 oz. smoked Spanish chorizo, cut into small pieces, in pan, stirring occasionally, until slightly crisped, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to a bowl.
Step 3
Cook 1½ lb. Sun Gold and/or cherry tomatoes in same pan, undisturbed, until lightly blistered underneath, about 1 minute. Add 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have burst and are falling apart, 2–3 minutes. Add 1 shallot, finely chopped, and 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened and garlic has started to soften, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add ½ cup water and cook, stirring occasionally, until saucy, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add chorizo and 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter and stir to melt butter. Add scallops, nestling into sauce browned side up, and cook until scallops are just cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Step 5
Divide scallops and sauce among shallow bowls; top each with chopped parsley and a pinch of paprika. Serve with 1 baguette, sliced, toasted.
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Reviews (8)
Back to TopI pick a recipe out of each month’s magazine and was super pleased with this one . The flavors just combine so naturally. Winner -winner
Robert
Ca
8/30/2023
Loved this. No notes. Definitely going in the summer rotation. Also considered adding corn but love the simplicity of the dish as written.
Alex
New York, NY
8/24/2023
Followed the recipe pretty closely, right down to the sweet Sun Gold tomatoes. The only edits I made was add raw corn cut from 3 ears and to halve the scallops to spread the love and boy was there alot of love for this recipe.
Karen D.
Connecticut
8/23/2023
Super simple and wonderfully delicious!! Tried it as is this time. In the future i think it would be excellent with mussels or grilled octopus as well. I will also likely use a dry white wine in place of 1/4 of water. All in all excellent recipe that I can’t wait to incorporate into a regular rotation!
Alex Mac
Phoenix, AZ
8/14/2023