This is a very satisfying meal but be sure to use a little patience to give the sauce time to simmer down a bit and thicken correctly. It’s worth it. It comes from Melissa Clark in NYTimes Cooking and it made for a wonderful post-Christmas meal using up some items we still had in the fridge.
For this you’ll need: 1-1/2 lbs scallops, 2-3 shallots (peeled and thinly sliced), 1/2 tsp celery seeds, 2 cups tomatoes (fresh, chopped), 1/2 cup dry white wine, 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup chives (fresh, chopped), 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, salt, pepper.
In a large skillet over medium heat melt the butter in a small glug of olive oil and add the celery seeds and chopped shallots. Cook until just beginning to soften and brown – about 3-4 mins. Add tomatoes and some salt and pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until it starts to bubble and then reduce the heat so that the mixture gently simmers. Allow to simmer until the tomatoes break down and become saucy and jammy – about 10-12 mins.
Increase the heat to medium high and add the white wine – cook until reduced by a third about 5 minutes – and then add the cream and Worcestershire sauce, stir well and continue to cook over medium high heat until the sauce reduces and thickens – about 8-10 mins.
Season your scallops with a good grinding of salt and pepper and then add them to the reduced and thickened sauce. Gently stir everything together so that the scallops are covered with sauce. Allow to cook over a low-medium flame until the scallops have shrunken slightly and turned opaque – about 5 mins – turning them over once in order to evenly cook both sides.
Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped chives and then serve with crusty bread (because the sauce is perfect for dipping) and a side salad.
Dinner at Our Place 