This is one of the most elegant and easiest dishes you will ever serve: my Sea Scallop Gratin. This seafood dish is so delicious. Everyone you know will want your recipe once they’ve had it. They won’t believe how easy it is to make. Let’s start with the ingredients for the topping, my favorite part of this dish.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 to 12 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment: 1 (12-inch) sauté pan, 2 rimmed baking sheet pans, 1 large mixing bowl, 4 gratin dishes, cutting board, meat-safe cutting board, chef’s knife

Ingredients:
1 pound sea scallops, muscles removed and sliced in half
10 tablespoons of butter, unsalted and at room temperature
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 leek, cleaned and finely sliced into half-moons
3 tablespoons of fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons of Pernod, 1/2 tablespoon per gratin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground
6 tablespoons of olive oil
3/4 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons of dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay)
Garnishes:
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Whenever I come home with fresh produce like leeks, I clean and prep them so they’re ready when I am. I cut the root ends off, then at the other end, cut off where the dark green meets the light green. Discard the dark green leaves. Next, slice them in half lengthwise, and run the leeks under cold water to remove any sand trapped between the layers. I wrap them up in a couple of paper towels and then seal them in an air-tight zip-lock bag.

Lay the leek cut-side down, and slice into very thin half-moons, as seen in the picture above.

In a large sautè pan, over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sliced leeks, and stir to coat. Add red pepper flakes (optional) and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Sautè for 3-5 minutes. Once softened (do not brown), add the minced garlic. Allow the garlic to cook for another minute until fragrant and soft. Turn the heat off and set aside.

Have the scallops on ice in the fridge until you are ready for them. Once the leeks and garlic have been sautèed, set them aside, and prepare the topping.

In a large mixing bowl, add finely chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, 1 stick of softened unsalted butter, Pernod, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper, olive oil, the cooled sautéed leeks, and Panko breadcrumbs. Mix to combine. Set aside.

Place the 4 gratin dishes on two baking sheet pans.

Remove the side muscle from each sea scallop. Transfer the scallops onto a plate lined with a paper towel. Take another paper towel and pat the scallops completely dry. Cut the scallops into quarters and divide them evenly between the 4 gratin dishes. Season with kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste. Add a tablespoon of wine to each dish. Spoon equal amounts of the garlic butter crumb topping between the four gratin dishes.

At this point, you could refrigerate the Sea Scallop Gratins for up to an hour. Bake the gratins for 10-12 minutes until the crumb topping is a light golden brown.

To Serve: Garnish with Italian flat-leaf parsley and a few lemon wedges. Squeeze the lemon over the dish right before serving. I like to serve my gratin with a simple, lightly dressed arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette.

There you have it, my Sea Scallop Gratin.

Note:
1) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2015/10/17/lemon-balsamic-and-cilantro-lime-vinaigrette/