Recipes

Bay Scallops in Wood Sorrel Butter Sauce

Name: Bay Scallops in Wood Sorrel Butter Sauce
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons; 1 medium shallot, minced; Salt; 1/2 cup Champagne vinegar; 1/4 cup heavy cream; Cayenne pepper; 1 pound bay scallops, membrane removed; 2 medium tomatoes—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/3 -inch dice; 1/2 cup tightly packed wood sorrel leaves, finely shredded

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This sauce, which is akin to beurre blanc, contains just enough butter to make it rich but remains light enough to accommodate lemony wood sorrel. Substitution: Try sheep sorrel or cultivated sorrel. You also could use basil; the dish will taste completely different but be delicious nonetheless.Plus: More Seafood Recipes and Tips

By Mark Bittman

and

Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Updated on June 19, 2015

Yield:

4

Ingredients

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1 medium shallot, minced
Salt
1/2 cup Champagne vinegar
1/4 cup heavy cream
Cayenne pepper
1 pound bay scallops, membrane removed
2 medium tomatoes—peeled, seeded and cut into 1/3 -inch dice
1/2 cup tightly packed wood sorrel leaves, finely shredded

Directions

In a large nonreactive skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderate heat. Add the shallot, season with salt and cook, stirring, until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and cook, shaking the skillet, until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Add the cream and bring just to a boil. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, 1 piece at a time, swirling the pan to incorporate; the sauce will be quite thick. Season with salt and cayenne.
Add the scallops and tomatoes and cook, stirring constantly, until the scallops are just opaque, about 3 minutes. Stir in three-quarters of the sorrel and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer to a platter, garnish with the remaining sorrel and serve immediately.

Suggested Pairing

Pair with an Albalonga, a German grape that is a cross between Riesling and Sylvaner. Wildly aromatic, this wine is sweet enough to match the scallops and temper the cayenne, and acid enough to counter the buttery sauce.