Cooking with Colm O'Gorman: Seared scallops with chorizo and apple salad

I often find myself wanting something light for dinner when the weather gets warm. The last thing I want to do at the end of a hot summers’ day is spend an hour in the kitchen. What I really want is something I can cook in twenty minutes or so, but it also must be delicious of course. Scallops are perfect for days like that. They are the ultimate fast food. They take just two to three minutes to cook, are light and very nutritious, and they taste spectacular. 

I think people are often put off using scallops as they fear they are technically difficult to cook. That perhaps paired with the experience of being served scallops that would bounce off the floor if dropped, the consequence of overcooking this wonderful shellfish. In truth, they are wonderfully simple to prepare and cook. The trick is to remember they need only two to three minutes in a hot pan.

This week’s recipe pairs scallops with chorizo, which is always a winning combination. The juicy, sweet, buttery taste of the scallops works wonderfully with the earthy, smoky heat of pan-fried chorizo. I serve these with a beautiful, fresh apple salad. This simple salad is made with crisp apple cut into thin strips and then dressed with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, chopped coriander and a little fresh red chilli.

I always buy fresh scallops whenever I can. Get them from a trusted fishmonger on the day you plan to cook them if possible. The fresher they are, the more delicious. They can be a little pricey, which is why they are a bit of a treat in our house. If you can source hand dived scallops, please do as ones fished by dredging are less sustainable.

I only use the white meat of the scallop for this dish, and not the roe. When you buy scallops, you will likely get them with the bright orange roe still attached. If you prefer, you can cook the scallops with the roe still attached. It is just a matter of personal preference. If you choose to remove it, just gently pull it away from the white meat by the little membrane which attaches it, being careful not to damage the flesh.

Use three to four scallops per person. If you want to make this a more substantial meal, add some celeriac puree or even a little roasted celeriac. That would be wonderful.

This recipe serves two.

Seared scallops with chorizo and apple salad

recipe by:Colm O'Gorman

This is a simple dish really, though it looks very refined. It works beautifully as either a starter for a special dinner, or a light supper

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Spanish

Ingredients

• 8 fresh scallops

• 50-60g Spanish chorizo

• 15g butter

• A little lemon juice

• 1 apple, either Pink Lady or Granny Smith

• 15g fresh coriander

• ½ fresh red chill

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of flaky sea salt

Method

1. Wash and julienne the apple. This just means cutting the into thin strips. You can do this by cutting the apple into slices about 5mm thick, discarding the core, then cut these into strips about the same width. I use a Japanese mandolin to do this. It is a great little kitchen tool that is brilliant for thinly slicing vegetables or for cutting them into perfectly neat little strips in minutes. It is not an expensive piece of kit; you can pick one up for around thirty-five euro.

2. Pop the apple into a bowl and add the lemon juice. Toss the apple in the juice, this will make sure it does not brown and tastes wonderful.

3. Add the olive oil, chopped coriander and red chilli, and the salt and pepper to taste. I use about half a fresh red chili, with the seeds removed and finely chopped. When you have tossed the salad, taste it and add more seasoning if necessary.

4. Thinly slice the chorizo. Heat a non-stick pan over a high heat and toss in the chorizo. Cook it until it is crisp and golden, about four minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan and set it to one side.

5. Discard most of the chorizo oil from the pan, retaining about a teaspoon full to cook the scallops. Pat the scallops dry with a kitchen towel. Return the pan to a medium to high heat and warm the chorizo oil for a minute.

6. Add the scallops to the pan and sear them for about one to one and a half minutes until they are golden and caramelised on the bottom. Now flip them over and reduce the heat just a little.

7. Toss the butter into the pan and using a spoon, baste the scallops in the butter as it begins to foam.

8. Cook the scallops for no more than another minute and a half, if they are smaller in size a minute will do. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chorizo back in to warm it a little.

9. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and give the scallops one last quick baste in the butter and their juices. Work quickly and off the heat, this should only take you a minute at the most.

10. Now plate up. Put four scallops on a plate, spread out just a little. Add half of the chorizo, scattering it around the scallops. Pile a generous spoonful of the apple salad in the centre of the plate.

11. Garnish with a few leaves of fresh coriander and serve immediately. Pop any remaining apple salad into a bowl and serve.