Perfect little appetizer with scallops wrapped in crispy prosciutto and served with a lemon parsley butter.

scallops with prosciutto
Scallops with prosciutto

Scallops wrapped with prosciutto

I love scallops. To be entirely honest I am not a huge fan of seafood. I love a food piece of fish but things in shells…? Not entirely my thing. With a big exception for scallops (and ok, I will not say no to lobster either) as they are so easy and so tasty. I also don’t really associate them with fish as they are more meaty than fishy according to my taste buds.

​Either way these prosciutto-wrapped scallops are absolutely perfect to serve for a quick Christmas appetizer. Obviously for making this you need fresh scallops and a few prosciutto slices. I tend to buy them from the fish monger and make sure they are cleaned for me already. Some people like the bright orange part which is one the side of the scallop but I can frankly do without. 

Preparing the scallops

Now preparing the scallops is really simple. I briefly place them on paper towel to remove any excess moisture. You need one slice of prosciutto for each scallop. Or that actually depends on the size of the prosciutto. If you have a large piece of prosciutto you might need to cut it in smaller strips. You can also use thinly sliced bacon instead of prosciutto. In either case you need long strips that wrap around the prosciutto.

Now for this particular version (which I found on the BBC good food website (love that website!) you add roasted tomatoes. So for that you need to put the oven on and roast the tomatoes while you prep the scallops in the meantime. You secure the slices of prosciutto with a toothpick so they stay put while cooking them in the pan. 

Scallops wrapped with prosciutto
Scallops wrapped in prosciutto

Garlic butter

For making the garlic butter you need a few cloves of garlic, lemon juice and lemon zest, black pepper and parsley. You melt the butter in a large skillet and add the garlic. Make sure you use medium-high heat so the garlic doesn’t burn. 

For baking the scallops you can use a large skillet again and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake them on high heat until just cooked. That takes about 1-2 mins per side. You do not want them to be overcooked! You can also grill scallops but since this is such a quick recipe I don’t like adding steps. 

You could even omit the roasted tomatoes if you want. They’re delicious added to the scallops but they are totally optional.

Once the prosciutto-wrapped scallops are cooked you serve them with a generous amount of the garlic parsley butter and the roasted tomatoes. End with a little sprinkle of salt. 

I love serving these for when you have a heavier main course as it is light and easy to prepare. 

They would go really well with the lamb for a main course for instance but could be served with most dishes anyway. 

Or try these scallops with mint puree!

scallops with prosciutto

Scallops with prosciutto and parsley lemon butter

5 from 1 vote
GangAppetizer
KeukenFrench

Delicious and easy starter for any festive occasion!
Decorative clock showing preparation time
Prep time 10 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
Total time 20 minutes

8 people

Ingredients

  • 24 pieces cherry tomatoes on the vine
  • 24 pieces scallops small
  • 12 slices prosciutto each cut into 2
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 lemon juiced and zested
  • 1 bunch flat leaf parsley finely chopped

  • Heat the oven to 180˚C/ (350˚F). Arrange the tomatoes on a baking tray and season. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and set aside. Reduce the heat to 120˚C. (250˚F)
  • Put one scallop on each piece of prosciutto, roll up tightly and secure with a toothpick. Heat a frying pan until very hot. Add the olive oil and sear the scallops until the prosciutto is browned and crisp on both sides. Keep warm in the oven while searing the rest.
  • Add the butter and garlic to the pan and cook for 2 minutes on a low heat. Add the lemon rind and juice and heat through. Add the parsley. Serve the scallops with the tomatoes and the garlic butter drizzled over.

Nutrition Information per portion

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 99mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 754IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer

The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.

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Simone van den Berg

Food blogger from the Netherlands. Loves good food. Likes to create healthy and easy recipes for daily use, but also loves the occasional sweet dish. Lives in the Netherlands with her two cats; Humphrey and Buffy. Profession: Food photographer, food blogger, recipe developer and nutritionist