Scallops With Spinach in a Garlic Wine Sauce
103 days ago
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This Scallops With Spinach in a Garlic Wine Sauce dish was born from the need for a new recipe for a magazine article I was writing. A bonus for developing it is that scallops are a shellfish my husband, Tom, will eat. So, it was an easy decision to create a recipe using this succulent, tender shellfish.
Mise en Place
Prepping ingredients ahead when cooking can save a lot of time. The practice is called mise en place in culinary circles, but what it really means is to cut everything up and measure everything out in advance.
This recipe calls for a four or five cloves of garlic. Instead of mincing them, I just chopped them up with a 7-5/8″ Petite Chef knife.
You can also use the 7-5/8" Petite Chef to chop the yellow onion. And, because both of those ingredients go into the pan at the same time, you can place them in the same prep bowl.
For rough chopping the sun-dried tomatoes, I recommend switching to a smaller prep knife, like the 5″ Petite Santoku.
Once everything is chopped up, place the ingredients into small bowls. Measure out the rest of the ingredients and then it’s time to cook. With everything ready you can just add ingredients as you go instead of having to stop to cut or measure something. This also helps if you can’t remember if you’ve added an ingredient that might be hard to see in the mix.
Cooking the Scallops
You can buy sea scallops frozen and defrost them as needed. Run them under cold water to defrost and then place them in the bowl in the refrigerator until you need them.
Before cooking, pat the scallops dry so they brown better, and to avoid any splattering when placing them in the pan. Also, remove the foot of the scallop before cooking. It is a small rectangular muscle that hangs from its side. It is edible, but is a little tougher, so it’s better to remove it.
Sauté the scallops in olive oil until they’re golden brown on both sides.
As a side note, my husband like his scallops with a sprinkle of bread crumbs on them. So, if that appeals to you, it’s a nice added touch.
With the scallops cooked, it’s time to cook the rest of the ingredients that you’ve prepared ahead. It is as easy as noting the ingredient in the recipe and tossing it in as you go.
Putting it Together
The cooked scallops share the plate with a creamy sauce that includes garlic, onion, sun-dried tomatoes, wine, skim milk, stock, spinach (or arugula) and cheese.
The slightly sweet scallops are complemented by the earthy and tart flavor of the cream sauce. With that combination, Scallops With Spinach in a Garlic Wine Sauce transports you to the Mediterranean with just one bite.
Ingredients
- 1 pound sea scallops
- Fine sea salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste
- Extra-virgin olive oil, enough to coat a sauté pan
- 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio, Orvieto, or unoaked chardonnay
- 3 tablespoons julienne or rough chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1/2 cup skim milk
- 1/2 cup chicken or seafood stock
- 1 package baby spinach or arugula
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Piave
- Couscous or small pasta
Directions
- Dry your scallops with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Place enough olive oil in your sauté pan to cover the bottom and set on medium to high heat. Add the scallops and cook until golden on each side. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add the garlic and onion and cook until garlic is fragrant and onion wilts.
- Add the white wine. Cook to remove all fond (small bits) on the pan surface.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes and mix well. Add milk and stock. Heat thoroughly.
- Add arugula or spinach and cook until wilted. Return scallops to pan to reheat.
- Add cheese and blend well.
- Serve over couscous, small pasta or any grain.
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