White Wine Cream Scallop Casserole with Crisped Prosciutto Top

When I break this dish down to what it is at it’s core, this is basically a scallop casserole.

And if someone suggest to me to make a scallop casserole, I probably would have just ignored them. Something about it just doesn’t sound good to me. Probably because I am VERY particular about the way my scallops are cooked or maybe I jut associate casseroles with mushy dishes made with condensed soup. That sounds a bit snobby, but I have a serious problem with mushy food.

But if we take a look at this dish and break it down by its components, it is pretty much impossible to resist. Let’s think about this logically. White wine cream sauce? Check. Crispy breadcrumb, prosciutto and Parmesan crispy top? Check. Tasty, well cooked scallops? Check.

Check. Check. Check. You’ve got the makings of an epic dish right there.

This was a combination of an old recipe my mother used to make and what I thought would be tasty and this little gem was magnificent.

It’s even a contender for a dish at the holiday gift exchange I’m throwing. Try it and let me know if it should make the cut.

You will need…

1 ½ lb bay scallops, washed, dried and seasoned with salt and pepper

2 cups white wine

4 shallots, finely chopped

4 tablespoons butter plus 2 extra tablespoons for the crispy top

4 ounces crimini mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced

¼ cup parsley, freshly chopped

2 tablespoons half and half

3 large slices of good French or sourdough bread, roughly chopped then made into crumbs in the food processor (should make about 2 cups of fresh crumbs)

4 slices prosciutto, roughly chopped

½ cup Parmesan cheese

 Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your broiler.

In a large pan, heat the wine till it is slowly simmering and add in the scallops.

Cook the scallops just until they are opaque. Remove the scallops with a slotted spoon to a casserole dish and set aside.

Pour the wine into a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, add 4 tablespoons of the butter and melt over medium heat.

Add in the shallots and mushrooms and cook until the shallots have softened. About 5 minutes.

Stir in the parsley, half and half and the reserved wine. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer. Season well with salt and pepper and when the sauce starts to thicken slightly, pour it over the scallops in the casserole dish.

In a medium bowl, toss together the breadcrumbs, prosciutto and Parmesan. Spread the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the scallops in an even layer.

With the remaining butter, spread small dollops over the top of the breadcrumb topping.

Place the casserole under the broiler until the top is crispy and golden brown. About 4 minutes.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool for about 2 minutes and serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela  

White Wine Cream Scallop Casserole with Crisped Prosciutto Top

1 ½ lb bay scallops, washed, dried and seasoned with salt and pepper

2 cups white wine

4 shallots, finely chopped

4 tablespoons butter plus 2 extra tablespoons for the crispy top

4 ounces crimini mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced

¼ cup parsley, freshly chopped

2 tablespoons half and half

3 large slices of good French or sourdough bread, roughly chopped then made into crumbs in the food processor (should make about 2 cups of fresh crumbs)

4 slices prosciutto, roughly chopped

½ cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Start by preheating your broiler.

In a large pan, heat the wine till it is slowly simmering and add in the scallops.

Cook the scallops just until they are opaque. Remove the scallops with a slotted spoon to a casserole dish and set aside.

Pour the wine into a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, add 4 tablespoons of the butter and melt over medium heat.

Add in the shallots and mushrooms and cook until the shallots have softened. About 5 minutes.

Stir in the parsley, half and half and the reserved wine. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer. Season well with salt and pepper and when the sauce starts to thicken slightly, pour it over the scallops in the casserole dish.

In a medium bowl, toss together the breadcrumbs, prosciutto and Parmesan. Spread the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the scallops in an even layer.

With the remaining butter, spread small dollops over the top of the breadcrumb topping.

Place the casserole under the broiler until the top is crispy and golden brown. About 4 minutes.

Remove from the oven, allow to cool for about 2 minutes and serve hot.