Baked Scallops in a Cream Vermouth

Last week my husband went grocery shopping with me because our daughter wanted to come with me, and wanted to ride in one of those big carts with the "car" that are incredibly hard to steer. He usually stays home and my daughter goes next door to his mom's. I prefer that because 1. It gives me a break and 2. even though I do listen to their suggestions on what to buy, the ultimate decisions on what we are going to eat is all mine!

Anyway, since he was there, my husband decided he wanted me to make scallops this week. I generally don't love scallops, they are ok, but definitely not my favorite seafood. So I decided that I wanted something different from a basic pan-seared scallop, and started researching recipes. What I came up with is the best scallops I have ever had! The cream vermouth sauce is light with just a hint of lemon, and you can't really taste the vermouth at all. The alcohol cooks away, so even the kids can have it. If you can find a kid that likes scallops, that is 🙂 I served them over spinach tagliatelle, but I'm thinking they are even more fabulous on their own! I will have to try it again to see what it pairs up well with. I'm welcome to ideas, so if you have one let me know!

Baked Scallops in a Cream Vermouth - adapted from Food.com and Yankee Magazine Lost and Vintage Recipes 2012-2013

1 pound sea scallop pieces ( or whole scallops)

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup dry vermouth

½ cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs

¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded thin

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound spinach tagliatelle, cooked according to package directions (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Lightly grease with butter a baking dish large enough to hold the scallops and the sauce.

Rinse the scallops and pat dry, then lay them in the bottom of the baking dish.

Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan, add in the mince garlic and sautee for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vermouth, cream, and lemon juice. Pour the cream sauce over the scallops.

Sprinkle the panko breadcrumbs over the top of the scallops, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes and serve.

Two notes: DO NOT reheat in the microwave, they will explode!!! Trust me, I found out the hard way.... With that said, the sauce thickened a lot after being refrigerated and reheated, making it even more delicious 🙂