Seared Scallops with Crab Buerre Blanc

Grabbed some scallops at the store and came home to make dinner.   After peering in the frig for a few minutes I spied a can of crab and thought I'd create a crab infused buerre blanc to top those lovely little seared sea gems.   Placed on a bed of greens, we had the perfect dinner!

Seared Scallops with Crab Buerre Blanc

Ingredients:

• 1 lb scallops, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced finely
• 8 oz white wine
• 2 oz lemon juice
• 1 T heavy cream
• 12 T cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• salt and pepper
• parsley

Directions:  Start by making the buerre blanc.  In a small pan over high heat add shallots, wine and lemon juice and reduce till it's about 2 tablespoons.   Add the cream and as soon as it starts to bubble, turn the heat to low.   Add the butter 1 knob at a time, whisking to incorporate, until it's all gone.   Remove from heat, add crab, salt and pepper and cover to keep warm.

Rinse all grit from scallops and pat dry.  If scallops are wet, the olive oil will pop.   In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil on high.   You want to get a good sear or crust on the scallops so make sure the oil is hot and the scallops are dry. Season with salt and pepper and place into the pan and leave undisturbed for 2 - 3 minutes, then turn and cook an additional 2 minutes.   Transfer to paper towels to drain.

To plate, start with fresh salad, scallops then top each scallop with a spoonful of the crab buerre blanc.  I finished with parsley and fresh cracked pepper.   Enjoy!