Saturday Scallops
A Pinch of Background
Can I just start off by saying I am so proud of you for clicking into a scallop recipe? Scallops are a tricky little ingredient, at least for me. They are one of the quickest and simplest types of seafood to cook up, yet you can easily overcook them. Well, after making this dish many times, I can promise you this will not happen here.
In this recipe, I am pairing sweet scallops with even sweeter golden beets, all resting over a cloud of garlic mashed potatoes and topped with crispy pancetta. Did I mention this is also infused with white wine? Clearly this dish feels like a fancy weekend dinner, but I promise it is simple and quick enough to make during the week (I came up with this recipe on a Tuesday night).
A few notes before jumping in…
If you can’t find fresh scallops, it’s ok to buy them frozen! Make sure to defrost them in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Don’t leave them on the counter!
When you’re buying fresh scallops from the market, buy them without the “foot” (that little yellow tag on the scallop). This way, you’ll likely save a bit more money per pound.
Use a cast iron skillet if possible, but any non-stick pan will do for the scallops. We’re going to sear them on a nice high heat, so it is important to not let them stick to the pan.
Whenever you’re cooking scallops (which is hopefully when you’re making this recipe…), make sure to pat them dry before putting them in the pan! This will further help you to achieve a perfect sear.
Feel free to substitute the mashed potatoes with a cauliflower mash for a lower starch option.
Our Ingredients
8 pieces of fresh scallops (About 1 1/4 pounds), rinsed and patted dry
1 large shallot, finely chopped
3/4 cup of dry white wine
6 Russet Potatoes, peeled
3 large cloves of garlic
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
2 tablespoons of sour cream
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
4 large golden beets (this is enough for 2 people plus leftovers)
4 ounces diced pancetta
Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place golden beats on a baking sheet. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil on top. Add a few pinches of salt and black pepper, and toss together. Bake for 20 minutes.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. Once the water starts to simmer, add 2 generous pinches of salt. We don’t want too much salt here since we will be adding more later on to season the mashed potatoes. Once the water boils, add your potatoes. Cook until tender, about 12-15 minutes.
Cook your pancetta over a medium-low heat, until the edges start to crisp and it has shrunken in size. We are intentionally leaving the pan on a lower heat so that the pancetta can cook and crisp up slowly without burning. Scoop the pancetta out and place onto a a dish lined with paper towel to drain the excess oil. Increase the heat to medium-high.
Lightly season your scallops with a pinch of salt and pepper. It is important that the scallops have little to no moisture on their surface so that we can achieve a great sear.
Add the scallops to the the same pan you just finished cooking your pancetta in. Cook for 2 minutes on each side. When the scallop is golden brown on one side, you’ll know it is ready to flip. After 4-5 minutes of cooking, remove the scallops and place them on a clean dish. Turn off the heat from the cast iron.
Add your chopped shallots to the same cast iron pan, on no heat at all. Yes, you read that correctly - no heat! Remember, we just finished cooking the scallops on a very high heat so the pan did not have a full chance to cool down a bit. Sauté the shallots in the remaining oil, stirring frequently, until they become translucent and lightly golden.
Once the shallots become translucent, increase the heat to medium-high. Add your dry white wine and let it come to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to reduce. Turn off the heat and add most (but not all) of your cooked pancetta and parsley, as well as salt and pepper to taste.
Check on your potatoes. Poke them with a fork to see if they are tender; you will know they are if the fork easily goes through. Drain the potatoes and place them into a large bowl or separate pot for mashing. Remove your beets from the oven.
In the same pan you cooked the potatoes in, add a splash of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melt over low heat. While the butter is melting, start mashing your potatoes. Once the butter has melted, add your 3 cloves of finely chopped, or minced, garlic. We are not looking to cook the garlic, we will just be heating them up until they become fragrant and translucent. Once fragrant, add your milk, nutmeg and white pepper and stir until the mixture is warm and fully incorporated.
Slowly pour the garlic mixture into your mashed potatoes. Continue to mash them until the garlic mixture is fully incorporated. You want a light amount of clumps for texture (if preferred) so don’t overwork your potatoes my friends!
Add your sour cream and fold in until fully incorporated. Add salt and white pepper to taste.
We’re ready to plate! Place your preferred amount of garlic mashed potatoes onto a dish, and flatten to make room for the rest of your ingredients. Place your desired amount of scallops and beets on top of the garlic mashed potatoes. Drizzle a generous amount of the white wine sauce over your dish. Finish with a sprinkle of pancetta and chopped parsley. Enjoy!
