I get ideas for meals from a lot of places. This one was very typical. I get email with updated menus from a local restaurant we like. This particular email from Northampton Wines and Cafe had a unique sounding dish.

Two Massachusetts Scallops, Romesco Sauce,

Spinach Spaetzle, Buttered Shallots,

Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes, Crispy Prosciutto

My interested was piqued with the romesco sauce and the crispy prosciutto. I never need an excuse to sear scallops. They are super easy to make and taste fantastic. When I start researching a recipe, like most folks I suspect, I go to Google. Unlike most folks, I click the images tab instead of the all tab. I scoured the images to find ones that reflect what I want to make. I then start looking for how to make the core components. Finally, I try and make it my own. Below are the two images I kept coming back too. I liked the white bean on the left as a starch foil to the sauce. I loved the idea of crispy Serrano ham which was similar to the prosciutto from Northampton’s version.

Full credit for the images here and here.

Now I just wanted to make it my own. I had Crowder Peas in the freezer which I thought would be a cool local replacement of the white beans. I would have been perfectly happy with the serrano ham or the prosciutto but being from the south, I though I’d keep it local and went with crispy country ham.

Romesco sauce is something I’m familiar with but I’ve never made it myself. I spent a little time in the Catalonia region of Spain, which is where romesco originated. I was fortunate enough to have this sauce served in many different ways. As a younger man I spent time in Lloret de Mar on the coast and Ibiza and Mallorca, both island off the coast.

We just loved this dish. Scallops are one of my favorites. The crowder peas are so earthy and when not over cooked, a little nutty. The romesco is fresh and has just a little acidity from the vinegar and jarred roasted red pepper and just a touch of heat from the aleppo and crushed red pepper flakes. The crispy bacon adds the final touch. Once it breaks up and mixes with all the other elements it was just amazing. So good. I add the fresh local micro arugula for a touch of freshness and bright color.

This should make enough for four.

Ingredients

Ingredients

• Scallops, 3-4 per person
• Country ham, sliced thin
• 2 cups crowder peas
• 2 cups, no sodium chicken stock
• 2 shallot, cut in quarters
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and pepper
• Micro greens for garnish

Ingredients for Romesco Sauce

• 2 medium tomatoes, halved
• 1 roasted red bell pepper (I used store bought, jarred)
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 12-15 roasted almonds
• 1-2 thick slices of stale bread, cubed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp aleppo pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 2-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

How to make the Roasted Romesco Sauce

1. Set oven to broiler, place the tomatoes and garlic on a sheet pan and roast on both side until the tomatoes are slightly blackened and garlic is fragrant. Remove the garlic if it starts to burn.
2. Add tomatoes, roasted red pepper, garlic, almonds, bread, paprika and chili flakes into a food processor or blender. Pulse into a paste. Add vinegar and process the mixture slowly drizzling in olive oil until desired consistency. Add water if you would like to thin it out.
3. This can be served cold but I placed it in a sauce pan over low heat until serving.

How to make country ham crispy

1. Heat oven to 400F.
2. Cover sheet pan with non-stick aluminum foil. Place the thinly sliced country ham and cook until crispy. Depending on the thickness of the ham it could take approximately 25-45 minutes. Set aside to cool.

How to make Crowder Peas

1. Coat a large sauce pan with olive oil over medium high heat. Add shallot and garlic toss until shallot is translucent.
2. Add crowder peas and toss to combine. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.
3. Add two cups stock to cover, increase to boil then cover and reduce to simmer 15-20 minutes. Cooking until peas are just tender. Don’t over cook them. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Before serving drain the stock. You can reuse the stock (potlikker) for soups.

How to sear the scallops

1. Heat a large cast iron or stainless steel pan over high heat. Coat with canola oil. Season dried scallops with salt and pepper. Add scallops to heated pan and sear for 2 or 3 minutes on each side until browned and they release from the pan.
2. To plate, pile the crowder peas in the middle, add the romesco, place the scallops and garnish with micro greens and crispy county ham.