Zamburiñas

These Galician Scallops also known as Zamburiñas are exquisite especially served with a smooth white wine béchamel and a crunchy Iberic ham! Surf and Turf at its best!

The Variegated Scallops, called Zamburiñas in Spain, are a small variety of scallops about half smaller than normal scallops. Check the picture below to see the difference. Those mollusks are changing sex many times during their lifetime to end up male. Which I find strange because ‘shell’ or “Concha” in Spanish means “the lady part” in South America… Well, let’s leave it to that!

The Coral

In Spain, the coral (roe) is also eaten, especially with this smaller variety of scallops. The coral is that orange part lying on the side of the scallop, with Zamburiñas way more tender than the usual scallops. If you make the recipe with normal-sized scallops, you should avoid leaving them in, they are usually quite rough to eat. Otherwise, I suggest cutting them into really small dice and adding them to the béchamel if you want to make good use of the coral.

The region where you’ll find Zamburiñas is North West of Spain in Galicia and Asturia. It is the land of many other great dishes for example; the Galician octopus called ‘Pulpo a la gallega‘ or the Galician cod ‘Bacalao a la Gallega‘. They even make a special empanada Gallega with the Zamburiñas.

Famous in Other Ways

The shell from this particular variety of scallops is the symbol of the famous route of Santiago de Compostela. Back in the day, having one of those shells would mean that you’d made it to the whole Christian pilgrimage, to the Tomb of James in Santiago de Compostela. Many paths exist to reach Santiago de Compostela just like its shell symbol with its many lines meeting at one point, a perfect symbol for the pilgrimage.

A Winter Appetizer

In Spain, the common belief is that small scallops taste better… February is the peak of the scallops season, they are usually served as appetizers or tapas. Spanish people often serve their scallops with a touch of Iberic ham, sometimes with a garlic-onion sauce, simple parsley, lemon and olive oil drizzle, tomato sauce or nothing at all!

Surf and Turf

For this batch, I wanted to try scallops the surf and turf way with the cured ham. I’ve made the scallops with a tad of white wine béchamel and topped it with a few pieces of Iberic ham (or any cured ham) enveloped in bread crumbs. Afterwards, in the oven, the béchamel will smooth things up while the Iberic ham will become crispier for a perfectly smooth yet salty sea bite!

Alternatives

The recipe is suitable for normal-sized scallops as well. Also, if you fancy a little gratin, or a Coquille st-Jacques style, go ahead and add some lovely cheese on top before grilling. On a last note, a little extra green parsley topping the cooked Zamburiñas would be ace too!

So let’s get to it!

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Zamburiñas

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 10 zamburinas

Calories 69

These Galician Scallops are exquisite, served with a smooth white wine béchamel and a crunchy Iberic ham! Surf and Turf at it's best!

Ingredients

• 10 Zamburiñas
• 100 g Iberic ham (or cured ham)
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Béchamel sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 50 ml white wine
• 150 ml milk
• 1 pinch nutmeg (*optional)
• salt a pepper

Metric – US Customary

Instructions 

• Start by taking the frozen scallops out of the freezer, leave them in the fridge for 30 minutes before the cooking starts.
• In a small saucepan, add the butter and flour, medium-high heat and let the flour cook for a minute or two until it start to smell nutty.
• Add the splash of cold white wine than the milk and nutmeg, and whisk until it becomes thick.
• Add the breadcrumbs to the ham and mix.
• Add the béchamel sauce on top of the scallops, top with the bits of cured ham.
• Preheat the oven to the max, broil the scallops for about 5 minutes (for the small Zamburiña) or 6 minutes (normal sized scallops).

Notes

*Could add a little cheese on top of the scallops before grilling.

Author: thefoodolic

Calories: 69kcal

Course: Aperitivo, Tentempié

Cuisine: Spanish

Keyword: appetizers, bechamel, iberic ham, scallops, spanish, zamburina

Nutrition

Calories: 69kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition Facts

Zamburiñas

Amount per Serving

Calories

69

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

3

g

5

%

Saturated Fat

 

2

g

13

%

Trans Fat

 

0.1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Cholesterol

 

17

mg

6

%

Sodium

 

202

mg

9

%

Potassium

 

93

mg

3

%

Carbohydrates

 

4

g

1

%

Fiber

 

0.2

g

1

%

Sugar

 

1

g

1

%

Protein

 

5

g

10

%

Vitamin A

 

97

IU

2

%

Vitamin C

 

0.003

mg

0

%

Calcium

 

25

mg

3

%

Iron

 

0.4

mg

2

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.