Home - is where I want to be / But I guess I'm already there /I come home -
she lifted up her wings /
Guess that this must be the place...
- Talking Heads, "Naive Melody"

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Saffron Scallops on a Bed of Noodles

This was a spur of the moment selection, and I am happy to report that it turned out very well indeed. It is a simple recipe that takes little time to give you extremely flavorful results. I found mine enhanced by a sprinkling of sea salt at the table.

This is also my "cook from a book" recipe for the week, from Cara Hobday's 100 Great Noodle Recipes. I bought it remaindered, almost certainly more than ten years ago, so it's not something you're likely to find on a shelf these days.

1 tsp saffron threads, lightly crushed
2 Tbsp warm water
8 oz medium egg noodles
2 oz butter
16 large scallops
1 scallion, finely sliced
3 tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and chopped
3 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
pinch of salt
  1. Combine the saffron and warm water, and leave to infuse.
  2. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Drain well and keep warm.
  3. Melt the butter in a pan just large enough to hold all of the scallops. Stir in the saffron liquid. When the butter is medium-hot, add the scallops, scallion, tomatoes, and chives. Cover and cook over moderate heat for 7 minutes. Season with salt.
  4. Serve the scallops and sauce over the noodles.

2 comments:

Cara Hobday said...

I am Cara Hobday, the author of this book, and I am thrilled to hear how you got on with this recipe. I loved doing this book, and as you say probably not on sale widely anymore. I thoroughly test all my recipes so am glad to see that is coming home to roost now with good feedback on the web. My latest book is Ultimate Slowcooker Cookbook, and also Food Presentation Secrets. Have fun!

Rebecca said...

Thank you so much for stopping by. :) I really enjoyed this recipe. Glad to hear that you're still writing cookbooks!