As far as I'm concerned, a simple gratin is the most delicious way to cook fresh scallops. The only real way to screw this recipe up would be to use the wrong scallops. And by wrong, I mean any scallops that have been soaked in a preservative brine. These are easy to identify, as they're usually sitting in a pool of milky liquid. What you want are usually sold as wild 'day-boat,' 'diver,' or 'dry-pack' scallops. They are really expensive, and worth every penny. Serve with French bread for dipping.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , or as needed, melted, divided
- 0.25 cups crème fraîche
- 0.25 cups white wine
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper , or to taste
- 1 pinch kosher salt , or to taste
- 8 dry-pack sea scallops
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
-
1
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Brush 2 small gratin dishes with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
-
2
Whisk crème fraîche, white wine, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt together in a bowl until smooth; add scallops and toss to coat. Let sit until flavors begin to meld, about 5 minutes.
-
3
Divide scallops between prepared gratin dishes; pour remaining crème fraîche sauce over top. Top with tarragon and Parmesan cheese; drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over top.
-
4
Bake in the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Increase oven setting to broil; continue cooking until scallops golden brown, slightly springy, and opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
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