Scallops Grilled with Prosciutto

The subtle saltiness of prosciutto, Italian dried ham, combines perfectly with these marinated grilled scallops with their brilliant orange corals to make handsome brochettes that can be served on their skewers.

12 fresh king scallops with their corals, about 335 g in total
16 thin slices Parma ham (prosciutto), about 150 g in total
Black pepper

Marinade
2 large cloves garlic
A few sprigs each of fresh basil, coriander, and parsley
1⁄2 lemon
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil

1. Rinse and dry the scallops, separate the corals from the white meat and put both into a bowl.
2. To make the marinade, peel the garlic cloves and crush them into the bowl. Rinse and dry the herbs, reserve a few sprigs of basil for a garnish, then chop the rest and add them to the scallops. Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl, add the olive oil, stir, and leave to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. Preheat the grill to high.
3. When the scallops are ready, gather a slice of prosciutto into a ruffle, thread it onto a metal skewer, then thread on a scallop and a piece of coral. Repeat three times, finishing with prosciutto. Prepare three more skewers the same way.
4. Lay the skewers across the grill pan, baste them with some of the marinade, and grill for 5 minutes, turning and basting them again halfway through. They are ready when the ham is crisp and the scallops are just cooked.
5. Serve scallops grilled with prosciutto on skewers, or remove and pile onto serving plates. Spoon on the pan juices, then top with black pepper and sprigs of basil.

Scallops grilled with prosciutto variations

Try using raw jumbo shrimps or cubes of firm white fish instead of the scallops. Any sliced air-dried ham could be used as an alternative to Parma.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

PER SERVINGcalories 315
carbohydrate 4 g (including sugar 0.1 g)
protein 30 g
fat 20 g (saturated fat 6 g)

Good source of vitamin E.