French Fridays with Dorie - scallops with caramel-orange sauce

This is the first Dorie recipe that I thought might not go over well at my house.  While St. James and Ethan love seafood, for some reason they're not keen on scallops.  It's funny because I don't really like seafood but can abide scallops.

Ok, just an aside...funny story.  When I was about 18 (hadn't met St. James yet, that would be the following year), I was at a "fancy" french dinner with some relatives.  We were having a multi-course meal, all ordered in French...so I had no idea what we were having.  The second course came out and I took a bite.  It was something white and a little mushy (that's about the extent of my culinary descriptions back then).  As I was eating it, I asked my companions what it was.  I thought they said "shallots."  I started choking and gagging (because I was choking).  At that time in my life, I did not eat onions...at all!  As I was growing up, one great thing my mom did for me whenever what she was cooking had onions, she would make mine without onions.  I loved my mini-meatloaves without onions!  So, when I heard I was eating shallots...I couldn't get it out of my mouth fast enough.  I coughed and sputtered and gagged and made quite the scene.  Well, I'm sure you know where this is going.  It wasn't shallots, it was scallops.  Gotta say, if I had heard scallops, my reaction would have been the same.  That was my intro to scallops.  It was many years before I voluntarily ate one again and now look at me...actually cooking them!

Since I knew the boys weren't going to be thrilled with the scallops, I made them for our appetizer and served steaks for the main dish.  I loved making the caramel-orange sauce and decided to follow Dorie's Bonne Idee and make the candied orange zest also (because, what's a little more sugar among friends).

The scallops cooked up quickly and easily (and since I only bought 6, I did not break the bank this week either).  I actually took the time to shoot a picture while there was still a bit of light (thank you Daylight Savings Time) and then we sat down to eat.  I've got to say, given boys who don't like scallops...there wasn't a drop left on either of their plates (or mine).  Ethan used his bread to sop up the sauce and St. James poured the extra sauce all over his asparagus.  I actually dipped a spoonful of chocolate ganache that I was stuffing macarons with into the sauce after dinner.  Dang...that was good sauce!

So, another successful French Friday.  To see how all my fellow Doristas fared, check it out here.  Still on the fence about joining us?  Well get off and come play with us...the food is great and the group is really terrific!