Baked Bay Scallops with Garlic & Vermouth

Contemporary cooks are fond of using red and white wines in their sauces and braises, but we rarely think to use vermouth these days — which is a shame. This fortified wine, flavored with a proprietary blend of herbs and barks, has a wonderfully concentrated flavor that goes well with seafood and poultry. Scallops and vermouth were a popular pairing in the 1950s and 1960s; in fact, both Craig Claiborne, food editor of TheNew York Times, and René Verdon, chef of the Kennedy White House, published cookbooks that featured scallops marinated in vermouth. The combination of butter, garlic, and vermouth in the sauce for these baked bay scallops is heavenly – be sure to serve with lots of bread for mopping up the juices.

Note: If at all possible, seek out “dry” scallops for your cooking. They are pale beige in color and have a purer flavor. So-called “wet” scallops are kept in a phosphate solution that turns them milky white and makes them absorb water, thus diluting their sweetness.