Scallops in Saffron Sauce

This is one of my favorite Spanish tapas dishes. The saffron scented sauce pairs beautifully with the briny scallops.

Scallops with Saffron Sauce

Ingredients

 1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup of fish or vegetable stock

 large pinch of saffron threads

 2 lbs of scallops

salt and pepper

 3 TBSP olive oil

one small onion finely chopped

two garlic cloves finely chopped

2/3 of a cup of heavy cream

squeeze of lemon juice

chopped fresh leaf parsley

Method

 Put the wine, fish stock, and saffron in a pan bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and let this simmer gently for 15 min

Slice the scallops into thick slices. Dry the scallops well on paper towels, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 8 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Add the sliced scallops to the skillet and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally or until they turn just opaque. Do not overcook the scallops otherwise they will become tough and rubbery. Using a slotted spoon, remove the scallops from the skillet and transfer to a warm plate. Add the saffron liquid to the skillet, bring to a boil and boil rapidly until reduced to about half. Lower the heat and gradually stir in the cream, just a little at a time. Let simmer gently until the sauce thickens. Return the scallops to the skillet and let them simmer for one to two minutes just to heat them through. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the scallops hot, garnish with parsley.