Scallops

I found this recipe on a new blog I am following, Annie's Eats.  I have never cooked scallops before so I decided to be adventurous.  I probably never tried to cook them before because I don't think there is anything special about them.  I love shrimp, but I don't think these guys  have much flavor.  I loved all the other ingredients in this recipe and knew it would have an awesome flavor and it did!  Plus this main dish is super fast to make.  Perfect for a fast dinner after a long day at work.  

I bought sea scallops from Sam's in a 2lb. bag.  I was not sure how they would reheat if they were left over so I only defrosted a 1/2 lb.  It was a perfect serving for Alex and I.  I will actually be making round 2 of this recipe tomorrow.  Sea scallops are larger than bay scallops.  If you use bay then you can use them whole.  If you use sea then make sure to cut them in half horizontally so they are not so thick.  

I used corn starch instead of flour for gluten purposes.  I also have a few dairy free followers that I wanted to remind that Smart Balance has the following dairy free butter spreads:

Enjoy all of these dairy/lactose-free products:

• Smart Balance® Light Buttery Spread
• Smart Balance® Light Buttery Spread with Flax Oil

• Smart Balance® Organic Whipped Buttery Spread

We served these scallops with garlic rice pilaf and sauteed spinach.  It was a great date night meal!

Source:  Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh bay or sea scallops
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper (we used the normal stuff)
• All purpose flour for dredging (or corn starch if you are gluten free)
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup minced shallots (about 2 large)
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2-3 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, minced (I used curly parsley because that is what I had, to me they all taste the same)
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, halved

Directions:

If using bay scallops leave them whole.  If using sea scallops, cut them in half  horizontally.  Season the scallops with kosher salt and black pepper, toss with flour or corn starch, and shack off the excess.  In a large skillet or saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over  high heat until sizzling.  Add the scallops to the pan in a single layer.  Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on one side without moving. Then turn and brown lightly on the other side.  This should take about 3-4 minutes total.  Add the rest of the butter to the pan with scallops and let it melt.  Add the shallots, garlic, and parsley to the pan and saute for 2 more minutes tossing the ingredients with the scallops.  Add the wine to the pan and cook for 1 minute.  Serve with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the scallops.