Bay Scallops Provençal Food

INA'S SCALLOPS PROVENCAL

Steps:

• If you're using bay scallops, keep them whole.
• If you're using sea scallops, cut each one in 1/2 horizontally.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.
• In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer.
• Lower the heat to medium, and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3-4 minutes, total.
• Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley, and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops.
• Add the wine, cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning.
• Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

BAY SCALLOPS PROVENçAL

Steps:

• Season the flour with some salt and pepper and toss the scallops in it. Heat the oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté over medium heat a few minutes, until soft. Remove, draining well to keep most of the oil in the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high. Shake excess flour from the scallops and sauté them, tossing, until lightly browned.
• Return the shallot and garlic to the skillet. Add the tomatoes and sauté until they soften, a minute or so. Add the lemon juice and wine and stir just until the ingredients are well combined. With a slotted spoon, transfer the scallops to a warm serving dish. (It's fine if some vegetables hitch a ride with the scallops.)
• Increase the heat to high and reduce the liquid until it thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. Lower heat, swirl in the butter and check the seasoning. Fold in the parsley. Pour the sauce over the scallops and arrange the toast around the platter.

CREAMY BAY SCALLOP SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 minutes or 1 minute less than directed on the package.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. When oil just starts to smoke, add scallops and move them into a single layer. Let sear on high for 60 seconds. Toss to turn. Add butter and stir scallops until butter melts. Stir in garlic. Add lemon zest and red pepper flakes. Stir in sherry and cook and stir until alcohol cooks off, about 1 minute. Pour in cream. When mixture begins to simmer, reduce heat to medium-low. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
• Drain pasta. Transfer to skillet with scallops; bring to a simmer. Add half the parsley. Cook until pasta is heated through and tender, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Grate generously with grated cheese. Add the rest of the parsley. Serve in warm bowls.

BAY SCALLOPS PROVENCAL

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel and saute until it has softened and is just beginning to color. Stir in the garlic, saute until it barely turns gold, then add the tomatoes and wine.
• Season with salt and pepper, hot pepper flakes and thyme. Lower the heat to a slow simmer and cook 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomatoes have lost their raw taste and the sauce is smooth. If the sauce thickens too much, add a little additional wine.
• Increase the heat to medium, add the scallops and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are just barely cooked through, three to five minutes. The surface of the scallops will show some cracking. If the sauce has reduced too much, add a little more wine.
• Check seasonings, transfer to a serving dish or four plates and serve sprinkled with parsley.

SAUTEED BAY SCALLOPS WITH LEMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Choose a saute pan large enough to hold all of the scallops in one layer without overcrowding the pan or without them touching each other. Cook in batches if necessary. Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter until nearly smoking. Add the scallops and do not move or shake pan, but allow the scallops to brown well on one side before tossing the pan to flip them or gently turning them with a spatula to cook the second side.
• Remove the scallops from the pan and place on a warm serving platter. Return the pan in which the scallops had been cooked to the fire, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sweet butter, and cook until the butter begins to turn a light brown color. When the butter has browned to a hazelnut color add the lemon juice and chopped parsley.
• Pour the classic lemon butter over the scallops, garnish with heart-shaped croutons and serve promptly.

SCALLOPS PROVENCAL

Steps:

• If you're using bay scallops, keep them whole. If you're using sea scallops, cut each 1 in half horizontally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.
• In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total. Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops. Add the wine, cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

SEA SCALLOPS POACHED IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• For 1 1/2 pounds whole scallops. Simmer 1/2 tablespoon minced shallots for 3 minutes with 1/3 cup each of dry white French vermouth and water plus 1/2 teaspoon salt and a small imported bay leaf. Then add the scallops and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, just until lightly springy to the touch. Remove from heat and let cool in the liquid at least 10 minutes, to pick up its flavor. Remove scallops, discard bay leaf, and rapidly boil down liquid until almost syrupy.
• serving suggestions: fines herbes
• Stir fresh minced parsley and/or dill, tarragon or chives into the reduced liquid, and briefly reheat scallops, folding in, if you wish, a few tablespoons of heavy cream.
• provençal-with tomatoes
• Stir 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, juiced, and chopped fresh tomatoes (see box, page 30) and 1 large clove of minced garlic into the reduced liquid. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, then uncover and boil down rapidly to thicken. Season. Fold in the scallops and reheat briefly. Fold in minced parsley or other green herbs and serve.
• Note
• Simmering times for quartered sea scallops and bay scallops, 15 to 30 seconds; for calicos, bring just to the simmer.

SCALLOPS PROVENçALE

Steps:

• In a non-stick skillet large enough to hold the scallops in one layer heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it sear the scallops for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and just cooked through. Transfer the scallops with a slotted spoon to a small platter and keep them warm, covered loosely. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and in it cook the garlic over moderate heat, stirring, until it is pale golden. Add the tomato and the thyme and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Season the tomato mixture with salt and pepper, spoon it over and around the scallops, and sprinkle the scallops, and sprinkle the scallops provençale with the basil.

BAY SCALLOPS PROVENçAL

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté over medium heat a few minutes, until soft. Remove, draining well to keep most of the oil in the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high.
• Season the flour with some salt and pepper and toss the scallops in it. Shake excess flour from the scallops and sauté them, tossing, until lightly browned.
• Return the shallot and garlic to the skillet. Add the tomatoes and sauté until they soften, a minute or so.
• Add the lemon juice and wine and stir just until the ingredients are well combined. With a slotted spoon, transfer the scallops to a warm serving dish.
• Increase the heat to high and reduce the liquid until it thickens to the consistency of heavy cream. Lower heat, swirl in the butter and check the seasoning. Fold in the parsley. Pour the sauce over the scallops and arrange the toast around the platter.