This is my very favorite-in-the-world scallops recipe, because it has an absolutely divine tangy cream sauce that I’m going to have to appropriate for other recipes. The sauce also calls for shallots, which are currently my favorite food and I will happily double or triple them in any recipe. I’ve never cared much for anything remotely onion-like, but shallots have a more delicate flavor that doesn’t scream OMG I’M A FUCKING ONION. Also, they’re richer in flavonoids, so feel free to join me in shunning onions and packing on the scallions.
The recipe calls for sea scallops (the larger ones), but bay scallops could be used if you reduced the cooking time by like, a whole damn lot. Either way, both are fantastic when you want a quick and impressive meal because they broil in under 10 minutes. You must be constantly vigilant during those 10 minutes, however…every second scallops are overcooked makes them noticeably tougher! Fully-cooked scallops will have a very, very slightly darker center when you take them out of the oven…they’ll continue cooking and should be just right by the time you get them to the table.
Be sure to rinse and dry them first, because in my experience it’s not uncommon to find a few lingering grains of sand, which will quickly ruin your whole plate. I buy fresh (ie. not previously frozen) wild caught USA scallops from Fresh and Easy at $16.99/lb, but be sure to watch for them in the 50% off section! Allow 3-4 sea scallops per person.
The recipe comes from Deeann Budney on All Recipes, but my notes and adjustments are included below.
Ingredients
¼ cup white wine (any cheap white wine will do, save your good stuff for dinner)
¼ cup white wine vinegar (or substitute with apple cider vinegar, which will be milder, or red wine vinegar, which should taste fine but will screw up the color of your sauce)
1-2 tablespoons shallots
½ cup heavy cream (I use Strauss Family Creamery’s non-homogenized whipping cream from Whole Foods)
2 tablespoons butter (original recipe calls for ¾ cup of butter, which is a whopping stick and a half. You could even half my amount and be pleased with the result)
9 sea scallops
olive oil
salt and pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven on broiler setting.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine white wine, wine vinegar, and shallots. Cook until liquid is almost evaporated, approximately 1 tablespoon left. Stir in heavy cream and let boil down until reduced by half. Stir in butter 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing each to melt before adding the next. Keep warm while preparing the scallops.
3. Brush scallops with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place under preheated broiler for 3 minutes on each side, until scallops are opaque, ideally with a bit of brown around the edges but whatever you do, don’t leave in the oven any longer than it takes to make the center just barely darker than the outside.
Presentation
1. Always allow scallops to rest on a separate plate for 5 minutes before serving. They’ll ooze a bit of juice that would otherwise make your presentation look messy.
2. Place 3 or 4 scallops on a plate and top with a spoonful of sauce.
3. You know you probably didn’t get lucky and cut up exactly the right amount of shallots, so sauté the rest and sprinkle on top if desired.
4. Double (triple?) the sauce and serve on a bed of linguine.
5. Plop a few on top of a steak for extra decadence.
6. Place a sprig of parsley underneath one of the scallops as shown, or get even more attention by dropping it right in the center.
Pairing
I’m fond of starting off with Chardonnay and blue Stilton cheese before serving (which usually means while I’m cooking!) The tanginess of the Stilton goes great with the vinegar in the sauce, but isn’t so strong as to be stinky or intimidating. Ideal sides are steamed asparagus and fresh diced tomatoes tossed in a bit of oil. If you find something else that works well, let me know in the comments.
