Spanish Tapas Take Two: Scallops

Scallops with Roasted Calatan Sauce (recipe from Jose Made in Spain)
Serves 4

Ingredients

For the sauce:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper
5 ripe plum tomatoes
1 head garlic, halved and peeled
1 Spanish onion
3 dried sweet chili peppers, any variety, or 1 additional fresh pepper
1/4 cup blanch almonds
1 ounce white bread, crust removed, crumble
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 tablespoon salt

For the scallops:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 large sea scallops
Parsley, to serve

Directions

Heat oven to 350. Coat pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and onion in olive oil and roast for ~25 minutes, until are vegetables have softened.

Allow ingredients to cool. Peel the pepper, tomatoes, garlic, and onion. Seed the pepper and tomatoes and cut off their tops.

If using dried chilis, place in a bowl with hot water and allow to soak for 15 minutes prior to use. Drain and puree, and then set aside.

Put enough olive oil in a sauce pan to coat, and then heat on medium-high. Toast almonds until just brown, approximately one minute. Set almonds aside.

Using same pan from almonds, again heat the pan on medium-high. Now toast the bread until browned, approximately one minute. Remove bread and set aside.

Now combine roasted vegetables, pureed pepper if using, almonds, bread, vinegar, paprika, and remaining 7 tablespoons olive oil in a blender and puree. Ingredients should be fully combined into a thick sauce. Add salt if desired.

To make the scallops: Heat olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Once oil is heated, add the scallops, and sea each side on browned, approximately 1-1:30 minutes per side, depending on desired doneness.

To serve, spoon sauce on a plate and cover each with scallops. Garnish with parsley.