Seared Scallops with Pinot Gris Butter Sauce
I share this recipe with you exactly as written in Food and Wine in 2021. I would not change a thing! The pairing of scallops with Pinot Gris was perfection!
Hugh Acheson of Five & Ten restaurant and Gosford Wine in Athens, Georgia, flavors shallots with butter and Pinot Gris to create a sauce for scallops: "Pinot Gris loves shellfish," he says.
Ingredients
-2 tablespoons pine nuts
-4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
-2 medium shallots, minced
-2 cups Pinot Gris
-2 thyme sprigs
-1 cup fish stock
-1 tablespoon heavy cream
-1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
-1 tablespoon minced chives
-Salt and ground pepper
-1 packed cup baby spinach
-1 teaspoon lemon juice
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-16 large sea scallops
-1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)
Method
In a skillet, toast the pine nuts over moderate heat until golden, 2 minutes; transfer to a plate and let cool. Lightly crush the nuts.
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until browned, 4 minutes. Add the wine and thyme; boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, 15 minutes. Add the stock and boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, 9 minutes longer. Add the cream, bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
Strain the wine sauce into a clean saucepan. Whisk in the butter, 4 pieces at a time, until the sauce is thickened and smooth; set the pan over low heat as necessary to help melt the butter. Stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, toss the spinach with the lemon juice and the remaining olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
In the skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Season the scallops with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned but barely cooked through, 2 minutes per side. Transfer the scallops and spinach to plates. Garnish with the pine nuts and pepper flakes. Gently reheat the sauce, spoon on top and serve.
Wine Pairings
Pinot Gris from Oregon or Alsace, France: Alsace- Alsace-Domaine Schlumberger Les Princes Abbés Pinot Gris ~$22 – $26 Oregon-Alexana Estate Pinot Gris ~$32 – $36
Why These Wines Work
As the Butter Sauce Base (The Ingredient)
Chemical Stability: The high natural tartaric acid in Pinot Gris creates an ideal environment for binding melted butter and liquid together into a smooth, velvety emulsion that will not separate or turn greasy.
Flavor Mirroring: Reducing the wine concentrates its natural sugars and orchard-fruit flavors, perfectly matching the sweet, caramelized crust of a pan-seared scallop.
No Bitterness: Because Pinot Gris is rarely heavily oaked, reducing it will not concentrate bitter wood tannins or ruin the delicate seafood flavors. This is why a heavily oaked Chardonnays would not work well.
As the Wine Pairing (The Drink)
The Perfect Foil: The perfect level of acidity acts like a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, instantly cutting through the rich fat of the butter sauce to cleanse your palate.
Textural Balance: Pinot Gris from cool climates like Oregon or Alsace has a fuller body, texture, and viscosity to match the weight of the dish without tasting thin or watery.
The Flavor Bridge: Drinking the same style of wine used in the pan connects the plate to the glass, heightening the overall dining experience.