From "Sara Moulton Cooks at Home," Simon and Schuster, 2010 by Sara Moulton

Here's a little surf and turf haiku. I tested it exactly one time, and everyone agreed it was perfect as it was, a rare occurrence. The sole tricky part of this recipe is the broiling, if only because the temperatures on home broilers tend to be inconsistent, as are the distances from the oven shelf to the broiler. So be sure to keep a close eye on these kebabs as they broil. Obviously, it’s better to check them sooner rather than later, because overcooked scal lops are tough and dry. If your broiler turns out to be completely unreliable, go ahead and sauté the kebabs instead.

Makes 4 servings
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 22 minutes

Ingredients

• 16 sea scallops (about 1½ inches in diameter; 1¼ pounds)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 thin slices prosciutto di Parma (about 4 ounces)
• 16 large basil leaves

Directions

1. If the scallops still have the tough muscle that attaches them to the shell, trim it off. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels.

2. Whisk together the lemon juice and a hefty pinch of salt in a medium bowl until the salt has dissolved; whisk in the olive oil. Add the scallops and toss until they are well coated.

3. Cut the prosciutto slices in half crosswise and fold them into strips about 1½ inches wide (the same width as the scallops) and 3 to 4 inches long. Arrange the strips on a work surface and place a basil leaf in the center of each strip. Top the leaf with a scallop and wrap the prosciutto around the scallop to enclose it. Thread 4 pro sciutto-wrapped scallops onto each of 4 metal skewers. (If using wooden skewers, soak them for 20 minutes in water before thread ing the scallops.)

4. Preheat the broiler to high. Arrange the skewers on a broiler pan and broil 4 inches from the heat source for 3 minutes per side, or until just cooked through, and serve immediately.