Scallops and chorizo pasta dish?

popeye85

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I suppose the title says it all!!!
I'm looking for pasta recipes to use up some scallops and chorizo that I have-i know there are plenty online but it's hard to sort the good from the bad at times so hopefully you good people can help!!

I also have some prawns that I can throw in and was thinking of using the water I used to boil the prawns for the pasta aswell ? Good or bad idea??

I also know black pudding goes well aswell maybe incorporate that into the dish?

Thanks for your help!
 
I personally wouldn't cook scallops and chorizo together in the same dish. The chorizo will completely overpower the delicate scallop taste. But, to each his own!
 
It tends to be a common thing over here (Scotland-apologies, not sure where you are from). Scallops, chorizo and black pudding is a great combo!!!
 
You might check out a Cajun jambalaya recipe with shrimp and sausage and then, do your own experimenting.

Normally, jambalaya is over rice and uses shrimp or crawdads. You might substitute scallops and pasta.
 
You might check out a Cajun jambalaya recipe with shrimp and sausage and then, do your own experimenting.

Normally, jambalaya is over rice and uses shrimp or crawdads. You might substitute scallops and pasta.

Are you sure you aren't mashing up jambalaya and etouffee? Étouffée is seafood like shrimp or crawfish in a rich sauce served over rice. Jambalaya is usually chicken and sausage (shrimp optional) with the rice cooked with everything else, as you would with paella. I'm pretty sure mamaw Thibodeau would not approve of pasta in jambalaya.

Now, in response to the OP, I agree with medtran that scallops seem too mild to pair well with a strong sausage like chorizo. Scallops do pair well with pasta. I would keep any kind of sauce mild and buttery. Just my two-cents.

CD
 
Are you sure you aren't mashing up jambalaya and etouffee? Étouffée is seafood like shrimp or crawfish in a rich sauce served over rice. Jambalaya is usually chicken and sausage (shrimp optional) with the rice cooked with everything else, as you would with paella.

I'm pretty sure mamaw Thibodeau would not approve of pasta in jambalaya.

Now, in response to the OP, I agree with medtran that scallops seem too mild to pair well with a strong sausage like chorizo. Scallops do pair well with pasta. I would keep any kind of sauce mild and buttery. Just my two-cents.

CD

Yes, I think he was too.

I don't know, orzo might fly as a pasta, even couscous. LOL!
 
Some folks have no sense of adventure or inventiveness and absolutely must abide by the dogma of this recipe or that. Scallops and chorizo start out by being an odd combination, but that doesn't mean that something can't be done to make a workable meal out of them.

I suggested Jambalaya as a source of inspiration and not a hard fast solution. I might have just as easily suggested something like 15 bean soup. And if jambalaya gave any inspiration, what the OP made would not necessarily be called jambalaya.

To quote that some chef would not approve, to me, is morbid rigidity with dogma. Blah!

BTW: Shrimp and crawfish have been used to make jambalaya, as have chicken, andouille sausage and a host of other alternatives.

Shrimp Jambalaya
Shrimp and Crawfish Jambalaya

And now (drumroll please) for that suggested recipe alternative, we present center stage ...

Shrimp, Sausage and Scallop Jambalaya

The verdict in the court of try it and don't worry about what the super chef says ...

It can be done - and has been done.
 
Some folks have no sense of adventure or inventiveness and absolutely must abide by the dogma of this recipe or that. Scallops and chorizo start out by being an odd combination, but that doesn't mean that something can't be done to make a workable meal out of them.

I suggested Jambalaya as a source of inspiration and not a hard fast solution. I might have just as easily suggested something like 15 bean soup. And if jambalaya gave any inspiration, what the OP made would not necessarily be called jambalaya.

To quote that some chef would not approve, to me, is morbid rigidity with dogma. Blah!

BTW: Shrimp and crawfish have been used to make jambalaya, as have chicken, andouille sausage and a host of other alternatives.

Shrimp Jambalaya
Shrimp and Crawfish Jambalaya

And now (drumroll please) for that suggested recipe alternative, we present center stage ...

Shrimp, Sausage and Scallop Jambalaya

The verdict in the court of try it and don't worry about what the super chef says ...

It can be done - and has been done.

I gave my opinion that I wouldn't do it and why. I also noted to each his own. I'll also note that shrimp has a stronger taste that can stand up to other strongly flavored proteins, like spicy sausages. Scallops have a mild taste that is easily overpowered. I don't understand why someone would pay the price for scallops and then cover up their flavor. Just this morning, the news featured a restaurant serving Sunday brunch. The dish featured happened to be scallops. They made a compound butter that was about half butter, half parmigiano, zest of orange/lemon/lime, paprika and something else I don't remember, then put disks of that butter that were bigger than the scallops on top of them, then baked. They looked great, but I bet you can't taste the scallop at all, so what's the point?

I'll also point out that a lot of things can be done, but a lot of things shouldn't be done or would be foolish to do too. You could use Chilean Sea Bass to make fish and chips if you wanted. But that would be foolish considering how much it costs. You could also put a dark mole over scallops, but I wouldn't because you might as well be eating chicken or pork since the mole will be the dominant flavor.

You might check out a Cajun jambalaya recipe with shrimp and sausage and then, do your own experimenting.

Normally, jambalaya is over rice and uses shrimp or crawdads. You might substitute scallops and pasta.


You wrote "jambalaya is over rice." It's not. Etouffee, as CD wrote, is served over rice. Two totally different dishes. As noted previously, jambalaya is a rice casserole. The link you posted is a rice casserole dish, not something served over rice. Did you not read the recipe? Etouffee is a smothered protein/gravy type dish served OVER rice usually, though I personally know some that use spaghetti.

CD was being facetious and making a joke when writing about "mamaw Thibodeau." I'm sure there is such a person somewhere in Louisiana or just over the borders in Texas and Mississippi, but she's not a chef, she's somebody's grandmother.
 
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Some folks have no sense of adventure or inventiveness and absolutely must abide by the dogma of this recipe or that. Scallops and chorizo start out by being an odd combination, but that doesn't mean that something can't be done to make a workable meal out of them.

I suggested Jambalaya as a source of inspiration and not a hard fast solution. I might have just as easily suggested something like 15 bean soup. And if jambalaya gave any inspiration, what the OP made would not necessarily be called jambalaya.

To quote that some chef would not approve, to me, is morbid rigidity with dogma. Blah!

BTW: Shrimp and crawfish have been used to make jambalaya, as have chicken, andouille sausage and a host of other alternatives.

Shrimp Jambalaya
Shrimp and Crawfish Jambalaya

And now (drumroll please) for that suggested recipe alternative, we present center stage ...

Shrimp, Sausage and Scallop Jambalaya

The verdict in the court of try it and don't worry about what the super chef says ...

It can be done - and has been done.

Thanks for the links explaining cajun dishes. Having grown up in cajun country, I clearly got the wrong idea from all the cajun food I ate. Not sure how they all got it wrong down there.

The OP asked for opinions, including if it was a bad idea. Medtran and I both gave the opinion that chorizo and scallops may not be a good combination. That's all. Chorizo has a very strong flavor, while scallops have a very delicate flavor. I think the chorizo will overpower the scallops.

As for "creativity," in cooking, I'm all for it, but being creative doesn't guarantee it will taste good -- at least to anyone other than the creator of it. Steak and oatmeal is creative. I'm not going to try it.

CD
 
I've certainly come across UK recipes for scallops with chorizo. Personally I think it could work (although I'm not the biggest fan of chorizo or scalllops!). More often I've seen them paired with black pudding which also has a strong taste. Also with prosciutto and Iberico ham. Its all about combining the sweet delicate flavour of scallops with more earthy flavours.

Here is a recipe from Michelin starred Robert Thompson which includes chorizo:

Crispy Poached Egg with Chorizo Jam and Raw Scallops Recipe - Great British Chefs

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I would have had the same reaction as some others had, that chorizo would overwhelm the flavor of the scallops. But, our thinking here is almost certainly of Mexican chorizo, while our friends across the pond are likely thinking of Spanish chorizo.
 
I would have had the same reaction as some others had, that chorizo would overwhelm the flavor of the scallops. But, our thinking here is almost certainly of Mexican chorizo, while our friends across the pond are likely thinking of Spanish chorizo.

I did take that into account. Mexican chorizo is stronger and hotter, but I'd still be concerned with Spanish chorizo. I also don't know what scallops cost over there. In Dallas, good sea scallops are very expensive. So, I go as simple as possible when cooking them, so I can really enjoy the taste of the scallops. If they are cheap over there, I'd be more likely to take some chances with them.

CD
 
I would have had the same reaction as some others had, that chorizo would overwhelm the flavor of the scallops. But, our thinking here is almost certainly of Mexican chorizo, while our friends across the pond are likely thinking of Spanish chorizo.

And, on top of that, Spanish chorizo is quite variable across the country. When we talk about dried and cured ones in Southern areas tend to make it quite spicy, more than in Northern. This is something you must consider before cooking your plate.

Personally I would not do that mix. But, as somebody has said before me, to each his own. So bang on and let us know how you get on :okay:
 
Hi, to me, a fried tomato with onion and garlic sauce it's fine with chorizo for a pasta recipe. Anytime you get the chorizo hot, it sweats a red fat pork which will stain everything in your dish, and it will also add a very strong taste, because chorizo is made here with so much paprika and the paprika here is very powerful and even smoked in the best chorizo recipes. Because of that, in my opinion, pork fat and paprika doesn't make it easy to combine them with the delicate and "white" Scallops. Scallops and prawns could be sauteed together quickly with butter and olive oil, then add a bit of white wine on then and let it concentrate to finish it with a hint of cream and white pepper, take it all away when the cream starts boiling and add to the pasta. if you accept me this suggestion.
 
I just want to resurrect this thread sharing a recipe I found recently in a blog. It is dish that combines chorizo and squid (written in Spanish):

Patatas guisadas

To be honest with you all, it looks amazing and I am sure it tastes heavenly. What I want to say is chorizo with some sort of seafood doesn't seem awkward. However, squid is generally a bit more tasteless than scallops or prawns. Hence maybe why the chef cooks both together
 
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