Sweet potato soup with scallop skewers

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1.2 kg sweet potatoes
• 4 shallots
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 300 ml white wine
• 1.3 liters of chicken broth
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 16 scallops, shelled
• 4 slices of Serrano ham
• 300 g cream
• Salt and pepper, freshly ground
• nutmeg
• chili powder
• Cayenne pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into approximately 1 cm pieces. Peel and finely dice the shallots. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and sauté the shallots until translucent. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and sauté briefly with the shallots. Pour in the wine and chicken stock. Bring everything to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, and a little salt, pepper, and chili powder. Toss the scallops in the mixture. Cut each ham slice crosswise into 4 strips. Thread the scallops and ham strips alternately onto the skewers. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the scallops for 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Turn off the heat and let the skewers stand for another 2 minutes. Pour the cream into the pan with the potatoes and puree everything with an immersion blender. Season the soup with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and arrange the skewers on top.