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Baja California Butter-Sautéed Callo de Hacha Scallops

Name: Baja California Butter-Sautéed Callo de Hacha Scallops
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 16 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 g Freshly ground black pepper; 60 g Unsalted butter; 15 g Fresh parsley or chives; 3 g Coarse sea salt; 1 cda Olive oil; 1 pza Lemon; 400 g Fresh callo de hacha (pen shell scallops); 3 cloves Garlic

16 min (10 prep + 6 cook) Easy 2 servings Baja California

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 29 Mar 2026

Callo de hacha shellfish sautéed in butter with garlic, golden outside and creamy inside.

About this recipe

Callo de hacha en mantequilla is a minimalist preparation that celebrates the natural delicacy of this deep-water bivalve mollusc from Baja California and the Sea of Cortez, considered one of Mexico's finest shellfish. The callos are quickly sautéed in foaming butter with garlic, salt and pepper, golden on the outside but with a creamy, slightly translucent interior, to enhance their naturally sweet and briny flavour.

History & Origin

Callo de hacha (Atrina maura or Pinna rugosa), also known as pen shell or fan mussel, is a mollusc endemic to the Mexican Pacific whose artisanal fishing in the Sea of Cortez dates back millennia, forming a fundamental part of the diet of the Cochimí, Pericú and Guaycura peoples of ancient Baja California. Its name comes from the axe shape of the shell. Historically the callo was consumed raw in ceviches or steamed, and the preparation in butter with garlic is a modern twentieth-century adaptation influenced by French cooking that reached the peninsula through the restaurants of Ensenada and La Paz, where international gastronomy fused with the products of the Sea of Cortez.

Estimated cost

£25.00

Total cost

£12.50

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

290

Calories

32g

Protein

Carbohydrates

16g

Fat

Fibre

520mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Pat the callos de hacha very dry with kitchen paper - moisture prevents browning. Season with salt and pepper just before cooking.
💡 Drying thoroughly is the most important step for achieving a perfect sear.
2
Heat a steel or cast iron frying pan over high heat until smoking. Add the olive oil and 20 g of butter.
💡 The pan must be very hot for a perfect sear in minimal time.
3
Place the callos in the hot pan without moving them for 2 minutes until a golden crust forms. Turn with tongs and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. The interior should be creamy and barely translucent.
💡 Do not move them - they need constant contact to brown.
4
Remove the callos and set aside. In the same pan reduce to medium heat. Add the remaining butter and sliced garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the garlic lightly browns.
5
Return the callos to the pan for 30 seconds to absorb the garlic butter.
6
Serve immediately with a few drops of lemon and chopped parsley or chives. Accompany with rustic bread for the juices.