- 1/3 cup minced yellow onions
- 1 Tb butter
- 1½ Tb minced shallot or green onions
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1½ lbs washed scallops
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup sifted flour in a dish
- 2 Tb butter
- 1 Tb olive oil
- 2/3 cup dry white wine, or ½ cup dry white vermouth and 3 Tb water
- ½ bay leaf
- 1/8 tsp thyme
- ¼ cup grated Swiss cheese
- 2 Tb butter cut into 6 pieces
- A 10-inch enameled skillet
- 6 buttered scallop shells, or porcelain or pyrex shells, of 1/3 cup capacity
- Cook the onions slowly in butter in a small saucepan for 5 minutes or so, until tender and translucent but not browned. Stir in the shallots or onions, and garlic, and cook slowly for 1 minute more. Set aside.
- Dry the scallops and cut into slices ¼ inch thick. Just before cooking, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roll in flour, and shake off excess flour.
- Sauté the scallops quickly in very hot butter and oil for 2 minutes to brown them lightly.
- Pour the wine, or the vermouth and water, into the skillet with the scallops. Add the herbs and the cooked onion mixture. Cover the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes. Then uncover, and if necessary boil down the sauce rapidly for a minute until it is lightly thickened. Correct seasoning, and discard bay leaf.
- Spoon the scallops and sauce into the shells. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter.
- Set aside or refrigerate until ready to gratine.
- Just before serving, run under a moderately hot broiler for 3 to 4 minutes to heat through, and to brown the cheese lightly.