1. It was amazingly savory...like restaurant-quality yumness that necessitated carrying on about it for nearly 30 minutes post-meal.
2. Said yumness was achieved with very few ingredients.
3. The whole thing was prepped and on the table in 30 minutes.
Seared Scallops with Fennel and Cherry Tomatoes (click here for recipe)
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I've mentioned before that I love fennel...like, love it. Spotting it pictured in last month's Real Simple mag nestled in a rich broth with seared scallops and, even better, accented by two garlic toasts on deck for dunking, sealed the deal. This was on the list to prepare, um, immediately. We made a few modifications: First, in lieu of searing, Ryan took the scallops to a super, super hot grill (for just a sec, so as to not overcook them, particularly since they would have a minute or two in the simmering broth to cook even further...scallops can turn from scrumptiously tender to heinously rubbery in a millisecond). As no surprise, he grilled the bread as well. It is kind of ridiculous how a brush of olive oil, sprinkling of salt and pepper, rub of a fresh garlic glove, and quick visit to hot grates elevates a simple baguette into an almost stupid level of deliciousness.
I had an unexpected dose of happy from those little cherry tomatoes. They simmered in the sauce just long enough to release their sweetness, which had a lovely mellowing effect on the slight brininess of the clam juice and white wine mixture. The finished plate was to die for, which makes me again in awe of how little time and effort it required. Even if Ryan wasn't outside knocking out the scallops and bread while I threw the sauce together at the stove inside, it still would have been ready in the prescribed 30 minutes.
If you're looking for an awesome date night or company-worthy meal, try this!
