The gastronomy of the Camino de Santiago is rich and varied, full of unique dishes that warm the pilgrim's soul, such as scallops
Gastronomy on the Camino de Santiago
Where is it typical?: Galicia
How is it taken?: Serve and drink hot
Other typical dishes of the area: Galician soup, Galician octopus, pork shoulder with turnip greens, Galician stew, churrasco, Galician pie.
Scallops are related to the pilgrim's shell, which is one of the best-known universal and representative symbols of the Camino de Santiago. The scallop is a very typical bivalve mollusk in Galicia, and today, it seems an almost essential object for any pilgrim who begins his journey.
It is one of the most appreciated seafood in Galician gastronomy, and for approximately a thousand years it has been a symbol of the pilgrim. The scallop needs brief cooking and ingredients that do not steal the spotlight, since it is the main dish.
They can be cooked in the oven or in the traditional style, being a luxury for everyone who consumes them. Some accompany them with rice or pasta, although it is also common to eat them in a scallop patty. In conclusion, there is a great variety of ways to cook and eat scallops.
As we said before, there are several ways to cook scallops, one of the most popular recipes is Galician scallops. Especially during Christmas time, it is typical to cook baked scallops au gratin in breadcrumbs.
To prepare baked scallops it is important to choose the scallops well, since it is the main ingredient. These mollusks can be found up to 100 meters deep, which is why they are one of the most valued shellfish. When it comes to cooking scallops, it will be essential to remove the sand that they usually bring well, since otherwise they spoil our recipe. Next, it is convenient to have them two hours before cooking them in a container.
Once we have carried out this step, we must add water and coarse salt; and change the water three or four times so that they release sand. The rich sauce that accompanies the scallops has very small pieces of onion, chopped ham, homemade fried tomato and breadcrumbs. Finally we put the scallops in the oven for 12-15 minutes, and enjoy!