Scallops And Chorizo Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring 3 1/2 cups water to a boil, and add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Slowly stir the grits into the water, pouring the grits in a fine stream. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar, cover, and keep warm in the oven.
• Ten minutes into cooking the grits, pat dry the scallops, season them with salt and pepper on both sides, and heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the pan, then the chorizo, and cook until the sausage renders some fat, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the scallops, shake the pan to move them around a little, and sear for 2 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until browned, 2 minutes. Remove the scallops and chorizo to a plate lined with a paper towel.
• Reduce the heat under the pan to medium, and add the scallions, garlic, and lemon juice. Cook for 2 minutes, and remove from the heat.
• On each of 4 plates, make a bed of grits, then place the scallops on top, and drizzle pan sauce and chorizo on and around the scallops and grits. Serve quickly.

Steps:

• Put a pan on to get hot and then dry-fry (the chorizo will give out plenty of its own oil) the chorizo until crisped on either side; this should take no more than 2 minutes.
• Remove the chorizo to a bowl and fry the scallops in the chorizo oil for about 1 minute a side.
• Return the chorizo to the pan with the scallops, add the lemon juice and let bubble for a few seconds before arranging on a serving plate and sprinkling with lots of parsley.

Steps:

• To make the picada, put ½ tbsp oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. After a few mins, drop a piece of the bread in - if it sizzles, reduce the heat a little and add all the bread in a single layer. Fry, turning frequently, until the bread is pale gold, then spread it out on kitchen paper to cool. Add the remaining oil to the pan, fry the garlic until golden and add to the bread.
• Toast the nuts until fragrant (they should smell toasted), then rub in a tea towel while still warm to remove the skins. Blitz the bread and garlic with the nuts, lemon zest and coriander in a food processor using the pulse button (you want a coarse mix). Mix in the vinegar, sherry and salt, and add lemon juice to taste.
• Look at the scallops to find a little white bit at the side - this becomes tough when cooked, so cut it off (watch our how to prepare scallops video). Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper (they don't colour well if you fry them when they're wet) and brush with extra virgin olive oil.
• Fry the chorizo in a little oil in a small frying pan until well coloured all over with a slight crust.
• Meanwhile, heat another pan until searing hot, add a small glug of oil, then the scallops. Season and cook for about 30 secs each side - you want just a little colour. Divide the scallops between the four shells, add the chorizo and top with the hazelnut mixture and a knob of butter. Put under a hot grill until cooked through (mine took about 90 secs). Squeeze on a little more lemon juice and serve immediately.