Looking for a simple yet elegant meal to prepare for a romantic occasion or a special dinner party? I saw this recipe on the Barefoot Contessa’s show last year and saved it for Valentine’s dinner with my wonderful husband this year. It is simply delicious! And so easy.
The most difficult part of the recipe is the cookware. We searched for months for the type of single serving baking dishes that Ina Garten uses, but had no luck. So, I opted to use a pretty ceramic pie plate instead. While my dished-up servings didn’t look as nice as Ina’s — due to scooping each serving out of the pie plate — they still tasted perfect.
Barefoot Contessa's Scallops Gratin
Weight Watchers Info: 10 PointsPlus per serving
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium shallots, minced
- 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma, minced
- 4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons Pernod
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons good olive oil
- ½ cup panko
- 6 tablespoons dry white wine
- 2 pound fresh bay scallops
- Lemon, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place 6 (6-inch round) gratin dishes, or a large ceramic pie plate, 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, parsley, lemon juice, Pernod, salt, and 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 (or the pie plate). 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.
