It Came In the Mail . . .

In the mail today was the Costco Connection and it had an article on Mark Bittman and his newest book, How to Cook Everything - The Basics.    Included were two recipes -- Seared Scallops with Pan Sauce and Caesar Salad.    

Today was haircut day and a Costco stop.    The Bittman book was not in stock -- yet -- (and coming home I found out it won't be released until March 12) but scallops were.

Dinner tonight was Bittman's wonderful scallops . . . but alas, the Caesar was all mine.    I will try Mark's sometime -- just not tonight!

Husband Jim thought them the best!     And a Caesar Salad was the perfect accompaniment.    The sauce was perfection and I think this recipe will replace my go-to scallops provencal that I usually make.   It's easy and armed with scallops, everything you need for the dish is usually on hand (for at Linderhof there are chives on the windowsill).

MARK BITTMAN'S SEARED SCALLOPS WITH PAN SAUCE

3 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1 1/2 pounds sea scallops

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 T. minced garlic

juice of 1 lemon

1/2 c. dry white wine

2 T. chopped fresh chives

Cut 2 tablespoons of butter into pea-size pieces, put it on a small plate and stick it in the freezer.    Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3 or 4 minutes.    Add the remaining 1 T. butter and the olive oil, and wait for the butter to melt.

Pat the scallops dry with paper towels (this is a very important step); and them to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper; work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the skillet.     Cook, turning once, until they are well browned on both sides but not quite cooked through, 2 minutes per side (less if the scallops are less than 1 inch across; more if they're over).   Transfer the scallops to a plate.

Stir in the garlic, lemon juice and wine and scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet with a spatula.    Lower the heat to medium and cook until the liquid in the skillet thickens, a minute or two, then whisk in the butter you chilled in the freezer, one bit at a time, to make a creamy sauce, adding another tablespoon or two of liquid if necessary.

Return the scallops to the skillet and add the chives.    Adjust the heat so the sauce bubbles gently and toss to coat the scallops with the sauce.    To serve, transfer the scallops to a platter and spoon the sauce over all.

Makes 4 servings.

It's Friday and I'm sharing my scallops with  Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday!