Baked Scallops with Onions and Ham
SPANISH

Does anyone really like the ubiquitous Coquille St. Jacques? This is a fine classic dish, but it does immerse the scallops in a sea of heavy white sauce. Scallop-enthusiasts wish a lighter touch. We feel that the unique flavor of scallops should generally not be submerged, only subtly enhanced.

What is to be done? The Spanish have their own St. Jacques, known as Santiago, the patron saint of Spain. And they have an answer to the French classic dish in Vieiras de Santiago. But this only replaces the heavy white sauce with a heavy tomato sauce.

Is there another way? Yes, and from the Spanish. Simply bake the scallops briefly with some onions, ham, and fresh bread crumbs, as in the recipe below. This combination forms one of the fine Spanish flavorings, not only with fish, but for meats, and poultry.

All but the final 15 minutes of baking may be done in advance. If you have individual scallop shells or ramekins, this is a fine occasion for them.

Serves four

To prepare onions and ham

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Drain scallops, reserving liquid.

To make the bread crumbs, remove crusts from sourdough bread or other substantial white bread. Tear bread in pieces and process in food processor until fine.

Melt butter in the sauté pan with low heat. Remove pan from heat and stir bread crumbs into the butter, stirring so that crumbs are well coated. Place the buttered bread crumbs in a bowl and set in refrigerator until needed.

Return the pan to the stove and add oil. Sauté onions in the oil at medium low heat until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add ham and sauté a minute or two, stirring, to let the ham flavor go into the oil.

Combine reserved scallop liquid and white wine. Add to pan and cook down rapidly until evaporated, 2 or 3 minutes. Onions should remain slightly moist.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove pan from stove.

(May be done in advance to this point. Or proceed somewhat further.)

To bake the scallops

Butter, or oil
Baking dish to hold scallops snugly in 1 layer, or
8 scallop shells (preferred), or ramekins
If scallops are small, use whole. If large, quarter them.

Butter baking dish and place scallops in a single layer.
Stir bread crumbs into onions. Distribute the onion and bread crumb mixture over scallops.

(May be done in advance to this point and refrigerated.)

Bake at 400 degrees F. until scallops are done, perhaps 15 minutes. Scallops will no longer be soft, but will resist your touch. Crumbs should be brown at the edges.
These are best served hot, but can be held.

Variations
Use half portions for appetizers.
Try Madeira instead of white wine.
Various additions suggest themselves. In place of ham, or in addition, use cooked mushrooms, or chopped roasted red pepper. You may not want to use these, as the dish seems succulent and balanced as it is. Perhaps the basic flavors are too special to tamper with.

Excess Water in Certain Scallops

One time when I cooked this dish, a great deal of water came out of the scallops. The dish was not ruined, but it wasn’t its true self, either.

It seems that scallops are sometimes plumped with water. Frozen scallops may be plumped with a phosphate solution to whiten the meat and improve texture. (Julia Child discusses this in The Way to Cook.)

This excess water does not affect braised scallops, but it will baked scallops (as well as sauteed.)  

If you are uncertain of your scallop source, test by sautéing one or two scallops. If they exude a lot of liquid, modify the recipe as follows: