Dinner in 15 Minutes: Scallops With Apricot Sauce

Here’s a good reason to open the lovely preserves that you or a generous pal put up last year. The sauce tastes like it takes some effort, yet it comes together in a few minutes. In fact, the prep for the whole dish could hardly be easier.

If you don’t care for scallops, substitute 8 to 10 ounces of halibut fillet, cut into scallop-size pieces.

Serve with a saute of snow peas and matchstick carrots; drizzle a little of the sauce on them as well. Adapted from “Savory Sweet Life: 100 Simply Delicious Recipes for Every Family Occasion,” by Alice Currah (William Morrow, 2012).

Seared Scallops With Herbed Apricot Sauce

2 servings
Ingredients
6 large dry-packed sea scallops

Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1 medium clove garlic
Leaves from 1 large stem flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons apricot preserves

Steps
Rinse the scallops and pat them dry on paper towels. Season on both sides with salt and pepper to taste. Heat the toaster oven on its lowest setting.

Mince the garlic. Finely chop the parsley.

Combine the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter starts to foam, add half the scallops and sear for about 2 minutes, then use a thin, flexible spatula to turn them over. They should be nicely browned on the edges. Cook until barely firm, opaque and lightly browned on the second side, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof plate and place in the toaster oven.

Add the remaining scallops to the skillet and cook in the same fashion, adjusting the heat as needed so the butter doesn’t burn. Transfer to the toaster oven. Return the skillet to the stove; reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and stir for 15 seconds, then carefully add the wine (it will steam), then the apricot preserves. Cook, stirring to break down any lumps of fruit. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the remaining butter and half the parsley, to form a silky sauce. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.

Divide the scallops between individual plates; drizzle equal amounts of the sauce over each portion, then sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Serve right away.

Nutrition per serving: 380 calories, 22g protein, 25g carbohydrates, 19g fat, 8g saturated fat, 75mg cholesterol, 360mg sodium, 0g dietary fiber, 15g sugar.