Ina's Baked Scallops Gratin Recipe with White Wine is a delicious variation of the classic scallops gratin dish with inspiration from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. The addition of white wine brings a delightful tang and complexity to the creamy sauce, enhancing the flavors of the scallops. Plump and tender large sea scallops are nestled in a rich and creamy sauce infused with white wine. The scallops gratin with white wine is baked in the oven until the top turns golden brown and the sauce bubbles around the edges. The aroma that fills the kitchen is irresistible, a tantalizing blend of seafood, butter, and wine. I love to serve these buttery scallops over angel hair pasta, garnished with a little lemon zest, and a chunk of crusty bread to sop up the white wine sauce.
WHY MAKE THIS RECIPE?
- Flavors - Scallops have a delicate, sweet, and slightly briny flavor. When combined with other ingredients in the gratin, such as a creamy sauce, cheese, breadcrumbs, and herbs, the flavors meld together to create a rich and satisfying dish.
- Textures - Scallops gratin typically features a contrast of textures. The scallops are tender and succulent, while the gratin topping provides a crunchy and crispy element.
- Creamy sauce - This sauce coats the scallops, keeping them moist and adding an extra layer of richness to the dish. The sauce also helps bind the gratin topping together.
- Versatility - Scallops gratin can be served as an appetizer, a main course, or even as a side dish. Its versatility makes it suitable for various special occasions, from casual family dinners to elegant gatherings to date night.
- Visual appeal - Scallops gratin is visually appealing, with the golden-brown crust on top contrasting against the succulent white scallops. The dish can be served in individual gratin dishes or scallop shells, adding elegance.
- It is really a very easy recipe.
INGREDIENTS FOR INA'S BAKED SCALLOPS GRATIN RECIPE WITH WHITE WINE
For the full recipe with quantities, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
INGREDIENTS NOTES & SUBSTITUTIONS
- Scallops - Ina Garten uses small bay scallops in her recipe, but I prefer the larger jumbo sea scallops. There is an additional cost, so if your budget doesn't work, use bay scallops.
- Prosciutto - If you don't have it, substitute cooked bacon, finely crumbled.
- Panko breadcrumbs - Panko breadcrumbs work better in this recipe than regular dry breadcrumbs. This dish needs the extra texture from the Panko.
- Garlic - fresh is best, but in a pinch use ½ teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic.
- Black pepper - freshly ground is best. Feel free to add a little Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for a little heat.
- Butter - use unsalted butter if you are watching your intake of sodium.
- White wine - use a dry white wine. (see FAQ below) Find more information about cooking with wine.
Mary's Two Cents
This recipe falls into the "SPLURGE" category due to the scallops and the prosciutto, which are a bit pricey. I used frozen sea scallops which helped cut down the cost without changing the flavor. This is one of those recipes to make when you feel like splurging a little bit.
RECIPE FAQ'S
Dry white wines (wines that don't contain sweetness) are preferred for cooking lighter dishes such as fish and pasta. Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, and Chenin Blanc are popular dry white wines that cook well.
When prepping scallops, there are a few steps you can follow to ensure they are clean, properly trimmed, and ready to cook:
Purchase fresh scallops: Look for scallops that are firm, shiny, and have a slightly sweet aroma. Frozen is your next best option.
Cleaning: Rinse the scallops under cold water to remove any grit or sand that may be on the surface. Pat them dry with paper towels.
Removing the side muscle: Some scallops may have a small side muscle attached to them, which appears as a tough, rectangular flap on the side of the scallop. This muscle is edible but can be slightly chewy. I recommended removing it for a more tender texture. Simply pinch it between your thumb and forefinger and gently tug it away from the scallop. If it doesn't come off easily, you can use a small knife to cut it away.
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTO INSTRUCTIONS
Mix the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or use a hand mixer and a small bowl.
Add the garlic, shallot, prosciutto, parsley, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons wine, salt, and pepper, to the butter mixture in the bowl.
Mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined.
With the mixer on low, add the olive oil slowly as though making mayonnaise, until combined.
Add the Panko bread crumbs to the mixing bowl.
Fold the panko in with a rubber spatula and set aside.
Pat the scallops dry and place scallops in a shallow baking dish in a single layer.
Spoon the garlic butter evenly over the top of the scallops.
Carefully pour the wine into the baking dish. Place on baking sheet.
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the topping is golden and sizzling and the scallops are barely done.
OPTIONAL: Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
Broil for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Watch it carefully to prevent burning.
Equipment
- Baking dish or individual gratin dishes
- Sheet pan
- Small knife
Ingredients
- ¾ pound fresh scallops Ina's recipe uses bay scallops but I used jumbo scallops
- 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 medium shallots minced
- 1 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto minced
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley plus extra for garnish
- 1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 5 tablespoons white wine (divided) use chicken broth if you don't want wine
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese optional
- Lemon for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- With a small sharp knife, remove the white muscle and membrane from the side of each scallop and discard.
- To make the topping, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer).
- With the mixer on low speed, add the garlic, shallot, prosciutto, parsley, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons wine, salt, and pepper, and mix until combined.
- With the mixer still on low, add the olive oil slowly as though making mayonnaise, until combined. Fold the Panko in with a rubber spatula and set aside.
- Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and place them in the baking dish in a single layer.
- Spoon the garlic butter evenly over the top of the scallops.
- Carefully pour the remaining 3 tablespoons of wine into the bottom of the baking dish being careful not to disturb the garlic butter topping.
- Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the topping is golden and sizzling and the scallops are barely done.
- If you want the top crustier, place the dish under the broiler for 2 minutes, until browned. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve immediately with crusty French bread.
- OPTIONAL: Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top and place until the broiler until the cheese browns. WATCH CAREFULLY!
Mark says
Great recipe. Way too much salt.
Mary says
Ina's recipe uses 2 pounds of scallops. Mine is scaled down to 3/4 pound. I think the fact that I use salted butter the better amount of Kosher salt would be 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. I have corrected the recipe. Thanks for letting me know. Glad you liked it otherwise!
Klaus says
Confusing ingredient list: 2T White Wine and 3T Dry White Wine, who gets used when and where?
Why not pour the white wine in the dish, place the scallops, and then top with the garlic butter?
Mary says
Sorry for the confusion. This is an adaptation of Ina's recipe. She uses Pernod for the first 2 tablespoons and wine for the one that goes into the bottom of the dish. I just use wine in my version. I clarified the ingredient list by totaling the wine also the instructions. The butter topping is thick and it isn't easy to get off the spoon and onto the scallops with the scallop sliding around in the wine. It can certainly be done as you suggest as well. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Amy Liu Dong says
I love how easy and delicious this dish is, and I am so excited to make this at home.
Karly says
Hello!
I featured your recipe for this week's Tasty Tuesday! I hope you had a wonderful holiday and I look forward to having you link up this week!
Ali says
These are stunning 🙂 Thank you so much for linking this recipe up at! The new link party is up and I'd love to see you back. Have a great week. 🙂
Jamie @ Coffee With Us 3 says
I grew up eating garlic in everything- I'm pretty sure it's my mom's favorite flavor! So I'm sure that I'd need to scale back on that as well, since my husband isn't as fond of it. And I had no idea you could buy cooking shells- how fun! I'll have to order some!
Thanks for sharing with us at Saturday Dishes!
Linda says
These look marvelous. I belong to a group of bloggers who make an Ina recipe the first Friday of each month. If you would be interested I would be happy to get you in touch with the organizer. Drop a note if you'd like.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Lori Hart says
Congratulations!! Your recipe has been featured at Tasty Tuesdays 42 Lori’s Culinary Creations. Hop on over and grab a feature button and link up your latest culinary creations. Congrats again.
Have a great holiday,
Lori
Lady Lilith says
Yummy. That looks really good. Thank you for sharing the photograph with the recipe.
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
Fabulous sounding dish and I want to try it soon. I do the same thing many times of leaving out the alcohol because I don't want to buy a whole bottle. And I don't think Pernod comes in those little shooter sizes. And with those scallops, I have really good luck browning and getting those things cooked through in my cast iron skillet. Wondering if I could sear this way, then bake. I saw this on the Monday linky party. Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas.
Mary says
That would work well I think! Ina would probably take exception to it though. LOL
Catherine says
Your scallops came out beautiful. I'm like you, I like that extra 'kick'...my daughter though is very sensitive to spice. Your photography is beautiful. I will be pinning.
Blessings,
Catherine
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
Scallops are absolutely magical!
Jodee Weiland says
Great recipe...I love scallops! This really looks delicious!
Deb@Cooking on the Front Burner says
I really love this recipe and it would be perfect for my Christmas Eve meal. Thanks for linking this to our Marvelous Monday party...pinning!