I find it very entertaining to analyze regional dialects and accents, and thus couldn’t be happier to be a west coaster transplanted to Boston, wonky accent capital of the U.S. Here my name becomes Christer and one is mocked mercilessly for calling Worcester anything other than “Wooster”. New Englanders commonly elongate the ‘a’ sounds, as evidenced by the great aunt/aunt pronunciation debate. I’m firmly in the “I don’t care if it sounds like a bug, you say it like ‘ant’!” camp. Which leads me to today’s main ingredient, scallops. Or should I say, scaaaaaullops. I don’t know why but for some reason saying it this way makes me feel like I’m clearing a hairball. Err…anyway. Moving right along.
Scallops are delicious and on sale this week! They cook super-fast so the name of the game when cooking scallops is speed and attention. Luckily you only need to pay attention for about two minutes total. Here I used petite bay scallops that are abundant on the east coast and should be cooked swiftly so as not to be overdone. On the west coast I’m more used to seeing the larger sea scallops that take a bit longer to saute. Either type is fine.
When I first started cooking, this dish was a frequent flyer on the menu. You get a lot of bang for your buck here because while it is so ridiculously fast and easy to make, it is also luxurious and elegant tasting. I will even sheepishly admit that Rachael Ray taught me that spinach with a bit of nutmeg thrown in is a unique and pleasing complement to the scallops. Don’t judge, everyone has to start somewhere! This dish does not have a lot going on in terms of ingredients, but what there is is butter. Mmm.
Bay Scallops and Sauteed Spinach
serves 2
1/2lb. bay scallops, rinsed and patted dry
1 large shallot, diced
1/2lb. baby spinach
3T. cream
1t. nutmeg
1T. butter
1T. olive oil
2T. Parmesan
salt and pepper
Season the rinsed and dried scallops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add scallops and saute, turning occasionally for about two minutes, or until only slightly browned and firm. Remove the scallops from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 1-2 minutes until translucent. Add the nutmeg and the cream and simmer for 30 seconds. Cover the pan with the spinach and allow to wilt, turning occasionally until almost completely cooked. Return the shallots to the pan and heat through for another 1-2 minutes. Serve and sprinkle a bit of grated Parmesan over the top.
You no longer get cable, so let me benefit you with a Top Chef vignette no one seems to have a clip of featuring hottie mcItalianhotterson Fabio (ripped off BestWeekEver)
– QUOTE OF THE NIGHT: I couldn’t help but laugh at Fabio’s angry quote “All she ever make is scallops! Eees Top Chef, not Top Scallop!”