Bay Scallop Gratin

By Foodiewife

Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) cooks the way I love to eat. I made this bay scallop gratin dish for my husband, for a date night at home. It's very simple to make, and it impressed my husband. He said it was just like eating out at a fancy restaurant. Very simple to make, full of flavor. I made a couple of adaptions to the recipe, and noted them in the directions.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma, minced, optional
• 2 tablespoons tarragon, freshly minced
• 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, freshly minced, plus extra for garnish
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 tablespoons Pernod, may substitute white wine
• 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 6 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs
• 7 tablespoons Pernod or dry white wine
• 2 pounds fresh bay scallops
• lemon, for garnish

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 30mins
Adapted from foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place 6 (6-inch round) gratin dishes on a sheet pan.

To make the topping, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the garlic, shallot, prosciutto (optional), parsley, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Pernod (or white wine), tarragon, salt, and black pepper, and mix until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the olive oil slowly as though making mayonnaise, until combined. Fold the panko in with a rubber spatula and set aside.

Preheat the broiler, if it's separate from your oven.

Place 1 tablespoon of the wine in the bottom of each gratin dish.

With a small sharp knife, remove the white muscle and membrane from the side of each scallop and discard. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and distribute them among the 3 dishes. Spoon the garlic butter evenly over the top of the scallops. Bake for 10 to 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. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve immediately with crusty French bread