Monday, May 24, 2010

Bay Scallop Gratins



Its crazy to think that until about a year ago, I didn't really care for scallops.  I pretty much only liked them if they were chopped up and incorporated into a dish - I never ate them on their own.  Now, I can't get enough.  They are easy and fast to cook, and they can be served in so many different ways.  Even though I typically just sear them, this was a really fun and elegant dish.    They are incredibly easy, but they seem really fancy and elegant.  This would be a perfect meal for entertaining, because the gratins can be assembled and refrigerated, then just baked off in the oven. The scallops stay nice and sweet through the baking, and the proscuitto, lemon, garlic, and white wine give them tons of flavor.  The top is nice and crispy, and the result is a truly delicious dinner.

I divided one serving between the two of us for the first course of our anniversary dinner, and now I can't wait to make them as a stand-alone entree.



Bay Scallop Gratins
adapted from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
makes 3 gratins
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 1 ounce thinly sliced Proscuitto, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Panko
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 pound bay scallops, patted dry
  • Lemon, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 425.  Place 3 gratin dishes on a sheet pan and spray lightly with cooking spray.  Place 1 Tablespoon of white wine in the bottom of each dish.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, shallot, 1 Tablespoon of the white wineproscuitto, parsley, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Use a fork to combine, mashing as you go.  Drizzle in the olive oil, and continue to combine.  Fold in the panko and set aside.

Use a paring knife to remove the muscle from each scallop.  Divide the scallops evenly among each gratin dish, and spoon the butter mixture over the tops.

Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and sizzling, and the scallops are just barely done.  For a crispier top, turn on the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes.

Remove from oven and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the remaining parsley.  Serve immediately with crusty French bread.


3 comments:

Taylor said...

I made these about a year ago and oh my....SO good!! Your post and pictures are making me crave it..

Sarah from 20somethingcupcakes said...

I keep seeing these everywhere - it must be a sign! I would definitely need some gratin dishes like yours, though - they make it! xxSAS

Sophia said...

I'll admit..I've never tried scallops before, but I think I might have to after seeing this recipe and photos! They look delicious!! Thanks for sharing!

~Sophia
www.chewonthatblog.com

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