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Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes

Brown Butter Marsala Scallops, Truffled Yukon Mashed Potatoes and Butter-Braised Leeks & Radicchio

Prep time
20 minutes PT20M
Cook time
45 minutes PT45M
Yield
2 servings
Difficulty
2 out of 5 on the difficulty scale
brown_butter_marsala_scallops1 Nugget Markets signature recipes

Want to avoid the restaurant crowds this Valentine’s Day? Try serving this rich and romantic trio to that special person in your life.

Ingredients

Brown Butter Marsala Scallops

  • 6 sea scallops
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
  • 2½ tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon shallots, finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons Marsala wine
  • Grated black truffle for garnish, optional

Truffled Yukon Mashed Potatoes

  • 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon truffle oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Butter Braised Leeks and Radicchio

  • 6-inch portion of leek, white and green parts only
  • ½ head radicchio
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • A pinch of nutmeg
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Preparation

Brown Butter Marsala Scallops

Season scallops lightly with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Once butter begins to brown, add scallops and shallots, turning scallops after 3 minutes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, then gently remove from pan and let rest on a small plate. Add wine to pan and carefully ignite with a kitchen lighter or by using the flame from your stovetop (tilt the skillet towards the flame but be sure not to pour out the sauce). Cook an additional minute and stir in remaining ½ tablespoon of butter.

Truffled Yukon Mashed Potatoes

Peel and dice potatoes, then place them in a small pot and cover with lightly salted water. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes, until soft. Strain, transfer into a food processor or bowl and mash with cream, butter and truffle oil until velvety and smooth. Stir in chives and sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Butter-Braised Leeks and Radicchio

Rinse leek well in cold water to remove dirt and debris. Slice in half lengthwise, then into ¼-inch half moons. Shred radicchio into ¼-inch wide pieces; set aside. Melt butter in a small skillet over low heat, add leeks and stir to coat evenly. Cook for 20 minutes over very low heat. Add radicchio and a pinch of nutmeg, stir again, cover with a lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

To serve, place a generous portion of the Truffled Yukon Mashed Potatoes in the center of a plate. Lay half of the Butter Braised Leeks & Radicchio across a third of the potatoes, then place three scallops onto the center. Drizzle sauce across the top of the scallops and around the outside of the potatoes. Garnish the dish with a grated black truffle for a little extra “wow.” 

Pair this meal with a nice Blanc de Blanc Champagne or sparkling wine. If you are not in the mood for bubbles, a full-bodied Chardonnay works equally well.

Techniques used in this recipe:

braise
braise: a cooking method in which the main item, usually meat, is seared in fat, then simmered in stock or another liquid in a covered vessel.
dice
dice: to cut ingredients into small cubes (1/4 inch for small, 1/3 inch for medium, 3/4 inch for large).
mince
mince: to chop into very small pieces.
roast
roast: a dry heat cooking method in which items are cooked in an oven or on a spit over a fire.

Glossary:

marsala

Sweet Sicilian dessert wine.

nutmeg

The tree is an attractive evergreen native to the Spice Islands. It attains a height of approximately 30 feet and its foliage is, in many respects, similar to the Rhododendron.

Nutmeg is most commonly available is ground form and is used primarily in baked goods however it is also a necessary ingredient in the mother sauce, bechamel.

Whole nutmeg is gaining ground in many household pantries. Use a microplane to grate the nut fresh into sauces, desserts, hot beverages and for breads. While it may seem inconvenient to grate nutmeg when ground nutmeg is so readily available, your dish will benefit greatly from this step.

truffle (I)

The dark or light edible subterranean fruiting body of several European ascomycetous fungi (especially genus Tuber).

Pair with

  • Chardonnay

    A classic white wine made famous in Burgundy, France, it's now grown all over the world. It takes oak well and is often fermented and aged in oak barrels. Full bodied, with rich flavors of vanilla, butter, green apple and tropical fruit (banana, pineapple).

  • Champagne

    Taste the stars! True Champagnes come from only one region, also called Champagne, about 90 miles northeast of Paris. Making Champagnes involves a secondary fermentation that occurs in the bottle, lending the wine its effervescence.