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1
Insert a flat knife between the shells of each scallop and sever the adductor muscle. Lift the flat shell away. Slide the knife under the scallop to free it from the curved shell. Remove the skirt; reserve the roe if present. Wipe the curved shells clean and set aside as the serving vessels. The shells should be intact and free of grit.
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2
Warm the olive oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook slowly until completely soft and without colour. Add the jamón serrano and stir for one minute. Add the tomato and cook until the mixture is dry and cohesive. Stir in the pimentón and, if using, the chopped roe. Cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat and allow the sofrito to cool completely to room temperature — it must be cold before it touches the scallop.
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3
Heat the grill to its highest setting. Lay the cleaned curved shells on a baking tray. Place one scallop in each shell. Spoon a measured quantity of the cold sofrito over each scallop — enough to cover the surface without burying the meat. Scatter a thin, even layer of fine breadcrumbs across the top. This is where the dish lives or dies: the sofrito must be cold, the breadcrumb layer thin, and the grill ferociously hot so that the crust forms and colours in 3–4 minutes while the scallop beneath remains just-cooked and barely warm at its centre.
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4
Slide the tray under the grill for 3–4 minutes. The dish is done when the breadcrumb crust is golden and the edges of the sofrito show the first signs of catching. The scallop should be opaque at its outer edge but yield slightly at its thickest point when pressed — it must not be rubbery.