Scallop Gratin

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.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Calories: 354 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• ¼ cup white wine
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch kosher salt, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, or as needed, divided
• ¼ cup creme fraiche
• 8 dry-pack sea scallops

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Brush 2 small gratin dishes with 1 tablespoon melted butter.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.