Christina's post about scallops reminded me that I wanted to post this rcp. I found it while looking for a rich, buttery wine sauce. Oddly enough, the cookbook said to cook the scallops in the sauce then discard the scallops so you're left with a scallop-flavored sauce. Anyway, I have modified it a little so it's a sauce for scallops.
Scallops in Shallot Wine Sauce
1 pound fresh sea scallops (day boat or dry or diver scallops are best)
1 to 2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
4 sprigs fresh parsley
5 tablespoons butter, divided
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 or 7 mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Rinse the scallops, dry them well and set aside.
In a sauce pan, combine wine, shallots, parsley, 3 tablespoons of the butter, cayenne pepper, mushrooms and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
In a bowl, combine cream and egg yolks. Add to the liquid in the pan while rapidly whisking. Do not boil but cook slowly until thickened. (I think I added a teaspoon or two of flour to thicken even more.) Set aside but keep hot.
Place the remaining butter and the olive oil in a sauté pan and heat at least to medium high. Sauté the scallops until nicely browned, just a few minutes on a side, turning as necessary. Do not overcook, of course.
Place scallops on dishes or in shallow soup bowls, cover with sauce and serve with the remainder of the wine in the bottle a loaf of French bread and maybe another bottle of wine.
Adopted and modified from the N.Y. Times International Cookbook.