FC Day 13 – Bay Scallops Gratin

I came across this recipe on Sarah’s blog, A Taste of Home Cooking, awhile back while K & I happened to be on a horrific detox diet, and it looked like something that I could modify to fit the diet. And it was. And it was the most delicious thing I had put in my mouth in a week. Seriously. But now that we are past that diet, I added it to the food calendar so I could make it the way it was intended to be made…with butter! Silly me, I didn’t think it could get much better than the first time I made it…I was wrong. So very wrong. I think the flavors are a little much for K, but I adore this dish and will probably make it many, many more times in the future. And not many dishes strike me that way.  You should try it…you will love it. Trust me.

The original recipe came from Ina Garten and the Food Network, and I followed it pretty closely. I made a couple of modifications like omitting the Pernod – I’ve never heard of it for one, and I didn’t have any in the house, or the desire to go purchase it 🙂 I only used 1 shallot, and I used white wine vinegar in place of the dry white wine. Oh, and I pretty much cut the recipe in half. I don’t need 6 servings for K & myself…because I would eat them…all of them. I really love this recipe – but a note for anyone who wants to take it for lunch leftovers to work – Scallops smell extremely fishy when re-heated in the microwave!! My apologies to my co-workers…I made that mistake the first time around, but not this time, or in the future. Promise!

Ingredients

• 3 Tbs butter, softened
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium shallots, minced
• 2 ounces thinly sliced Prosciutto , minced
• 3 Tbs minced fresh Parsley
• 2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 Tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 3 Tbs dry white wine
• 1 pound fresh bay scallops

Preparation

1. Heat over to 425 degrees.  Place gratin dishes on a sheet pan, or you can use a casserole dish.
2. To make the topping, place the butter in the bowl of a food processor (you can also use an electric mixer or a hand mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the garlic, shallot, prosciutto, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and mix until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the olive oil slowly until combined. Fold the panko in with a rubber spatula and set aside.
3. Preheat the broiler, if it’s separate from your oven.
4. Place 1 tablespoon of the wine in the bottom of each dish. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and distribute them among the dishes. Spoon the garlic butter mixture over the top of the scallops. Bake for 12 minutes, until the topping is golden and sizzling and the scallops are barely done. If you want the top crustier, place the dishes under the broiler for 2 minutes, until browned.
5. Serve with your favorite side dishes – Enjoy!