Easy and a little indulgent, this warm salad checks all the boxes for savory, salty, slightly sweet and acidic. The warm, creamy seafood pulls it together.
Serve with crusty bread.
Scallops, Tomato and Chorizo
3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Pinch sugar
Salt and ground black pepper
4 ounces cured, cooked chorizo
12 to 16 cherry tomatoes
1/2 small red onion
Leaves from 2 stems flat-leaf parsley
6 to 8 dry-pack scallops
2 small heads frisee or endive
Whisk together the oil and vinegar in a liquid measuring cup to form a well-blended dressing. Season lightly with sugar, salt and pepper.
Cut the chorizo into very small dice. Cut each tomato into quarters. Mince the red onion and parsley, keeping those two ingredients separate.
Use paper towels to pat the scallops dry, then cut each scallop in half horizontally.
Heat a wide, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo; cook for 3 minutes or until crisped on the edges, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the pieces to a bowl. Cover loosely to keep warm.
Season the scallops lightly on both sides with salt and pepper, then quickly add half of them to the skillet; sear just long enough so they become golden on both sides; this will take about 4 minutes total. Transfer them to the bowl with the chorizo. Repeat with the remaining scallops; add them to the bowl.
Mix in the tomatoes and red onion. Whisk the dressing to re-blend it; taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Pour over the mixture and toss gently to coat.
Trim the root end of the frisee heads, then tear the leaves, dividing them among individual wide, shallow bowls. Spoon equal amounts of the dressed scallop mixture on each portion of greens. Scatter the parsley on top. Serve right away.
Makes about 3 servings.
Recipe adapted from Morito by Sam and Sam Clark (Ebury Press, 2014)
Food on 01/28/2015