Christmas Eve dinner… there was a lot of conversation regarding this meal. Do the kids come over and hang out, watch movies, have munchies (nachos, wings, etc.) … Do we go out to dinner after the movie?? Do we do a “nice” dinner?? Blah blah – you get the picture. The kids decided that they wanted to go home and have munchies and watch the Christmas episodes of some of their favorite TV shoes (Dr. Who, The OC, etc.). So my Heart and I were on our own. In my mind I wanted to do something special but not too filling and definitely NOT something that would have leftovers since the fridge is already packed pretty damned tight. When I went grocery shopping yesterday I checked out the seafood department to see what looked good and they had some lovely scallops that were even on sale ($10 per lb.). So… this dish starts with 1 lb. of fresh sea scallops.
After browning the scallops in about 2Tbsp butter and a drizzle of olive oil (the olive oil will keep the butter from burning at relatively high temperatures) in a med-high skillet, I transferred them to an oven-proof plate and put them in a warm oven (275-degrees).
To the remaining butter/olive oil mixture I added about 1/4c cooked chopped bacon. (I keep cooked chopped bacon in the freezer for things such as this) I also added a dash of lemon juice, probably about 1/8c. I let that bubble and then added approximately a 1/4c Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine that is like Champagne). This mixture simmered and reduced by 1/2. I then reduced the heat a little, added a dash of Herbs de Province and stirred in 1/4c heavy cream. Once the cream was thoroughly mixed in I increased the heat to a steady bubble and returned the scallops to the pan, coating the scallops with the sauce as it reduced by 25%.
The scallops and sauce were served on cooked white rice with a bit of fresh ground pepper as a final touch.
Suggestions for the next time we make this: Toast some of the rice in a dry hot skillet to add a nutty taste and a bit of crispness to the dish or serve with a wild rice mixture. For Sunday Roast we would probably add shrimp, especially since my daughter is not a scallops fan.