Peconic Bay Scallops are in season this time of year–different from the large sea scallops that we normally get year-round.  They are an exquisitely sweet treat.

Because they are small and delicate, they need to be handled with care.  My favorite way to make them is to sear them ever so briefly with some garlic and shallot, then add white wine, stock and parsley.  The mixture is reduced slightly and the whole dish is done in about five minutes.  It’s a juicy dish that requires a bit of bread or rice to capture its magnificent sauce.

Tonight, I decided to make risotto out of the rice that held the white truffles I bought a couple of weeks ago (see pasta with white truffles). Because the rice had held the truffles, it was very stongly infused with their magical flavor.  Therefore, I added an equal amount of plain rice to the risotto to maintain a subtle undertone of truffle flavor without it being overpowering–it was a wonderful complement to the elegant, refined sauce and sweet, delicate scallops.

In addition to the rice, we had kale, blanched, then sauteed with butter and lemon zest.

As a first course, we had a salad of golden beets, lettuce, arugula and goat cheese–all from the farm stand.

Sauteed Peconic Bay Scallops

Serves 2

1 lb Peconic Bay scallops, well dried

2 small shallots, peeled and finely diced

3 cloves of garlic, cut in half

3 tbls olive oil

1/2 c white wine

1/2 c chicken broth

2 tbls chopped fresh parsley

Place shallots and garlic in oil in a broad skillet (unheated), then turn heat to high. When shallots are sizzling, add scallops and sprinkle with a half-teaspoon of salt.  Allow to sear undisturbed for about a minute.

Add white wine to skillet and reduce for a minute, then add broth. Reduce for another minute or two and add parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with rice or bread.