Scallops with Mushrooms, Parmesan & Garlic

I developed this recipe for a bachelor friend of mine who loves Coquille St. Jacques but he wanted something simple to prepare that he couldn’t ruin so I came up with this version of the dish. It has all of the classic flavors and is very simple to prepare. I like the hot Spanish paprika but you can use regular paprika if you don’t like the hot.

2 tablespoons butter

½ pound mushrooms, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons green onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 pound bay scallops

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon hot paprika

½ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons flour

2 ounces brandy

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup Gruyere or Parmesan cheese, grated

 Melt butter in a skillet and add mushrooms and cook until them until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has evaporated, about 5 minutes, and then add the green onions and after a minute pour the mushrooms and onions onto a plate, there should be virtually no liquid remaining. Add the olive oil to the pan and season the scallops with salt, pepper and paprika and when the oil is hot add the scallops along with the garlic  and cook for a few minutes on each side. Place them on the same plate as the mushrooms. Add the brandy and lemon juice and reduce for a couple minutes and then sprinkle the flour over the liquid and whisk it into the oil and juices so that the sauce thickens but incorporates the flour with no lumps. Add half and half and cheese and simmer while stirring constantly, remove from heat when sauce thickens. Add the mushrooms and scallops back to the pan.  Pour over fresh cooked pasta right now. If you want the more traditional dish you can sprinkle a half of a cup of bread crumbs over the top and put under the broiler for about five minutes, until the bread crumbs become brown and crispy.

Servings: 4