SCALLOP GRATIN

Scallop Gratin image

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.

Provided by Chef John

Time 30m

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

2 tablespoons melted butter, or as needed, divided
¼ cup creme fraiche
¼ cup white wine
1 teaspoon 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

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Brush 2 small gratin dishes with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
Whisk creme fraiche, white wine, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt together in a bowl until sauce is smooth. Place scallops in sauce and toss to coat; let sit until flavors begin to blend, about 5 minutes. Divide scallops between prepared gratin dishes and pour remaining creme fraiche sauce over the top. Top with tarragon and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle remaining butter over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Increase oven setting to broil and continue cooking until scallops are golden brown, slightly springy, and opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 353.6 calories, Carbohydrate 2.6 g, Cholesterol 122.5 mg, Fat 25.5 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Protein 23.8 g, SaturatedFat 15.4 g, Sodium 605.1 mg, Sugar 1.4 g