Baked Scallops with Prosciutto & Meyer Lemon Relish

I was wondering why the name of this Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook recipe is just Baked Scallops with Prosciutto with no mention of Meyer Lemon Relish. I see now that the scallops are a base dish that can be paired with a number of sauces “depending on the season and our mood,… such as green olive and almond tapenade, salsa verde, or roasted pepper relish.” The meyer lemon relish that was paired with the scallops in the book was stellar though. Meyer lemons are really a delicious winter treat. This citrus which came over from China tastes like a cross between a lemon and an orange and has a thin edible rind.

The meyer lemon relish was made with very thinly sliced meyer lemon, shallots, lemon juice, parsley, chervil, and olive oil. I seasoned the scallops with salt and pepper and placed them in a very hot cast iron pan with some olive oil. Then quickly turned them over to the 475 degree oven for a quick bake. After a few minutes when they were done I plated them with prosciutto slices draped around them and a spoonful of the relish over each scallop. The flavor contrast between the mildly sweet scallops, salty prosciutto, and bright meyer lemon relish worked really well together. I gobbled this up in no time. Another quick, simple and delicious recipe for a weeknight dinner.