Vieras a la Gallega (Galician-Style Scallops)

This is one of my favorite recipes from Spain. The scallops are cooked in a tomato-based sauce that has a sweet onion and smoked paprika flavoring. It is important that you use sweet Spanish paprika rather than the normal paprika you might find in most grocery stores. You can find this at speciality stores or online at websites like La Tienda.

I cook these scallops in actual scallop shells that my mom brought back for me from Spain. Obviously, if you don't have these, you can use individual baking tin cups or small baking dishes.

Here is what you will need:


Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Finely chop small onion.



Step 2: Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil in pan and add onion when hot.



Saute until it starts to turn just slightly golden.



Step 3: Add one can of tomato paste.



Then fill empty can from tomato paste with water and add to pan; do this twice.



Step 4: Add 1/3 cup of wine; Then add 2 teaspoons of sweet Spanish paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of hot Spanish paprika (optional), and 1/4 cup of bread crumbs.



The sauce will begin to thicken. Let it simmer for a few minutes until it has a thick consistency---if sauce does not begin to thicken, add another sprinkle of bread crumbs. Taste and adjust seasonings.



Step 5: Place scallops in shells or tiny baking dishes.






Step 6: Spoon sauce over scallops.



Step 7: Place scallops in oven. Cook at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Then turn down temperature to 350 degrees and cook for 15 more minutes. Then, turn on the broiler and cook for 3 more minutes to give it a slight crust. Pay close attention that it doesn't start to burn (every oven is different). ***My mother says that if you buy large scallops, you may want to cook them in the oven for 5 or so minutes before adding the sauce, since they can take longer to cook.




Step 8: Enjoy!



List of Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small onion
1 can of tomato paste
water
2 teaspoons of sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon of hot paprika
1/3 cup of white wine
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
Scallops (I bought a 12 ounce bag of scallops---this sauce is probably enough for 1 lb.)

Flan, I love you just the way you are...

At some point, I'll talk about the many variations of flan--chocolate flan, pumpkin flan, brandy flan, and the list goes on. But for today, I just want to pay homage to the one and only, plain and simple,caramel flan.

This dessert makes me think of my mother. She's never been a baker, but like all Spanish women, this is the one dessert she can make, almost like a rite of passage.

I will say a couple of things about the list of ingredients. If you are on a diet or have cholesterol issues, let's be honest, this is not the dessert for you. Unless I bake a dessert with the intention of making it "low-fat," I never try substituting ingredients. I believe in real sugar and whole milk. It just tastes better. Also, I love trying to use organic whenever possible/affordable, but over Thanksgiving my brother and sister used some sort of brown organic sugar with this dessert, let's just say it did not work...AT ALL. Just use the real stuff today, and ask for forgiveness at the gym tomorrow.


Here is what you will need:



Step 1: Prehat the oven to 300°. Scald the milk with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt.



Step 2: Beat eggs, 6 tablespoons of sugar, and vanilla until it is all nice and fluffy.



Step 3: Continue to stir the egg mixture, and slowly pour the scalded milk into the bowl--continue to stir until well blended but not foamy.



Step 4: Set aside the egg mixture. Place 6 tablespoons of sugar in an iron skillet on low heat. Stir constantly until it turns a nice golden color. Do not leave unattended because it might start to burn.





Step 5: When the sugar turns amber, quickly pour the melted sugar into the souffle dish and move around to coat the bottom. It will only take a few seconds to harden, so tilt the dish back and forth quickly.



Step 6: Pour the egg mixture into the souffle dish. Place the souffle dish in a baking pan and pour at least a couple of inches of HOT (but not boiling) water into the pan. Cook for one hour. Check on the water ever 20 minutes to make sure it hasn't started to boil. If it does, pour in a half a cup of cold water to cool it down.



The top will be a nice golden brown.



Step 7: Let it cool on a rack for at least 20 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and turn over onto a plate. The caramel will cover the custard...so good! Cover and refrigerate.



List of ingredients:

12 tablespoons of sugar (divided)
2 cups of whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 whole eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla