The Fromagette

Think of a rich, buttery beurre blanc as the less temperamental relative of Hollandaise. Sorta like Ina is to Martha. Though for the record, I love them both equally. An important thing to know when making beurre blanc, is that you must remove the wine and citrus reduction from the burner and use residual heat only to melt and incorporate the butter or it may separate or “break”. As is the case with a vinaigrette, there is an acid to oil ratio that creates balance, and here I am using both white wine and grapefruit juice with an ample amount of butter. Once you taste the silky magic of a beurre blanc, you’ll be tempted to drizzle it over most any type of fish {except for the fact you’ve got skinny jeans to slip into}. If you’d like, you can substitute Meyer Lemon for the grapefruit, but I am quite taken by the blush-like hue that pink grapefruit imparts.

What should accompany these citrusy scallops, you ask?  Any leftover sauce should find its way to some asparagus: whether oven-roasted, charred on the barbie or chopped on the diagonal and sauteed stove-top with {even more} butter… simply sublime!

I am reminded that grapefruit has been under-appreciated in my kitchen – particularly when you take its zest into account. Learn from my mistakes and look for new opportunities to welcome it to your table. And don’t forget – the secret to perfectly caramelized scallops is to avoid moving them once placed and happily sizzling in the pan. Don’t be tempted to peek at their progress… cheers to the glory of winter citrus!

1 1/2 pounds dry {un-brined} sea scallops
1  cup dry white wine {try Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or leftover Champagne}
1  large shallot, finely minced
1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice  {or you can substitute 1/4 cup Meyer Lemon}
grapefruit zest from one grapefruit  {or Meyer Lemon zest}
kosher salt or fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper
1 stick COLD butter
1T olive oil + 1 T butter for pan
fresh thyme leaves to sprinkle

Serves 4.

Beurre Blanc: in a medium saucepan, heat juice, wine, zest, shallot and a pinch of salt on medium/med-high until the volume  has been reduced to approximately 2T. Working quickly, remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove solids and return the remaining liquid to its original saucepan. Add the stick of butter and allow to melt using the residual heat, stirring every minute or so to emulsify. Do not over-heat or it will separate. If you need to keep the beurre blanc warm for any period of time, do so double boiler style.

Searing the scallops: rinse with cool water and thoroughly pat dry. Add the butter + oil to a medium saute pan and turn to high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the scallops generously with salt and pepper. Once the oil barely begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other {or they’ll steam instead of caramelize}. Sear the scallops for 1  1/2 minutes on each side – they’ll have a nice golden crust. Spoon a little beurre blanc onto each of 4 plates, top with scallops, sprinkle with thyme and serve immediately.

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