Scallops with Pink Grapefruit Beurre Blanc for #WaunStrong Wednesday

I have been blessed with so many offers to assist with guest posts the past few weeks while I deal with the impending move (TOMORROW!!) and focus on helping my sweet girl with preparing her meals, meeting her doctors and this past weekend helping her clean her apartment so she can sub-lease it. We feel it will be better if she does that so she can move in with her Dad during chemo, surgery and radiation so that she can better handle the rigors of her fight (well, I would much rather she move in with me but since I’m going to be living with friends; um, not gonna happen!). Ann Franklin, with the blog Dinner is Served offered this gorgeous recipe and I could not resist; that she also offered to make sure her dish included a pink component that was an extra challenge and it seems she was up for it! Thanks Ann; now where are MY scallops? 🙂

Greetings to Creative Culinary followers!  My name is Ann and I write a small food blog called Dinner Is Served, which was the name of the personal chef business I started right after graduating from culinary school (way back when).  I am honored to be a part of Barb’s food world, as she takes the time she needs to support her daughter Lauren in her fight with breast cancer.

Like many, cancer has affected my immediate family as well, with my younger sister undergoing extensive treatment for and ultimately winning the battle against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma about fifteen years ago. This post is dedicated to all who bravely face this disease, their family and friends, and the doctors, nurses and care givers who heal and cure.

I told Barb I would focus on a pink theme in honor of breast cancer awareness.  I was inspired by a bounty of fruits, vegetables, seafood and spices, all in varying shades of pink. So much so, I created a special Pinterest board called “Pretty in Pink.”  It was a reminder to me of the simple beauty of nature.

I settled on this scallop recipe because, well I LOVE scallops, and I was intrigued with the idea of incorporating pink grapefruit into a beurre blanc sauce.  The result went beyond my expectations.  The sauce has a nice balance of richness and acidity. And the pink grapefruit garnish is not only beautiful to behold, they really compliment the flavor and texture of the scallops.  A perfect first course or entrée for an elegant spring dinner.

I leave you with these words from a breast cancer badge I found online:

We can survive, inspire, remember, empower, love and hope.

Let’s never stop fighting for a cure.

Ann Baker
Dinner is Served

Print Recipe

Scallops with Pink Grapefruit Beurre Blanc

Author: Creative Culinary

Ingredients

• 8-10 ounces large sea scallops about 8 scallops
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• ¼ dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp fish stock or bottled clam juice
• 1 Tbsp minced shallot
• ⅓ cup fresh pink grapefruit juice
• ½ tsp grated pink grapefruit zest
• ½ tsp sugar
• 3 Tbsps cold unsalted butter diced
• 1 Tbsp thinly sliced scallions or chives
• Fresh pink grapefruit segments for garnish

Instructions

• Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Pat scallops dry. Heat oil in a large, preferably nonstick, skillet over moderately high heat. Lightly coat the scallops in the flour, shaking off the excess and add to the hot oil. Sear scallops on one side for about two minutes, then carefully turn and continue cooking them until they are just firm and lightly golden, about two minutes longer. Transfer the scallops to a plate lined with paper towels and lightly tent with foil to keep warm.
• Add the wine to the skillet, deglaze the skillet, scraping up the brown bits, and stir in the clam juice, minced shallot, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, and the sugar. Boil the liquid until it is reduced to about 1/3 cup and strain the mixture through a fine sieve set over a saucepan.
• Set the pan over low heat and whisk in the butter, 1 piece at a time, lifting the pan from the heat occasionally to cool the mixture and adding each new bit of butter before the previous one has melted completely. Taste the sauce and add additional sea salt and pepper if necessary.
• Arrange the scallops on a warmed plate and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with scallions or chives and serve with fresh grapefruit segments.

Thanks again Ann; you’ve got me wanting these too; I think Lauren and I need to share a special dinner soon!