Scallop Tomato Gratin

In 2010, I accompanied my daughter to New York City for her interview at Sotheby’s. It was a mandatory part of the application process, which she obviously aced because she was soon after accepted to the London Sotheby’s master’s program.

My daughter didn’t need me with her in NYC, but because she had been feverishly finalizing her first master’s degree thesis, she hadn’t really taken the time to think about interview clothes, or get herself emotionally prepared. That’s where Moms come in handy.

Thanks to my wonderful travel agent, I made reservations at the The Surrey hotel. Her recommendations are always fabulous, and this hotel was perfect for us. It’s a boutique hotel, just 1 block off of Central Park. Still lots of honking outside throughout the night but, well, it is New York. But the hotel was lovely and had the best staff. They even had a bottle of champagne chilling in the room after my daughter’s interview.

But the wonderfulness didn’t end there. Turns out, Café Boulud is right next door to The Surrey; they even provide the room service. We went for lunch one day, and were so impressed, that we went for dinner on another night. (My daughter and I also went to Le Bernardin one night, so we didn’t suffer in the dining department. Again, that’s what Moms are for!)

Every one knows of Daniel Boulud, but this was a first for me dining at one of his many establishments. The food, wine, and the service were all top notch at Cafe Boulud. And the best part? After the meal, you’re brought warm Madeleines, along with the check, of course.

So it was because of our experience that I bought his Cafe Boulud cookbook – one for myself and one for my daughter. It was published in 1999.

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It’s a very interesting cookbook, because it’s organized differently from the traditional sets of chapters. The book is divided into four parts:

La Tradition, the traditional dishes of French cooking
La Saison, the seasonal specialties of the market
Le Voyage, dishes from lands far and near
Le Potager, vegetarian dishes that celebrate the bounty of the garden

Within each chapter are subchapters including soups, small dishes, lunches, main courses, etc. It makes it a little more difficult to look for recipes in the normal way, but it still works. I’ve made quite a few recipes already, and have many more marked.

I chose to post about the scallop and tomato grain for its simplicity. As I’ve mentioned before, simple food can be the best food – as long as it’s made with the highest quality and freshest ingredients.

This recipe allows the bay scallops and tomatoes to shine. And as my tomatoes have begun to ripen, this is the perfect recipe to try! It’s in the Le Voyage chapter, for its Italian style. He recommends a Pinot Grigio as a pairing, and I concur!

For this recipe you need to have peeled tomatoes. The way I peel potatoes is to boil them in water for about 30 seconds. If the skins don’t split, then use a tip of a knife to pierce the skin for easy removal.

Bay Scallop and Tomato Gratin
From Café Boulud Cookbook

3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
6 sprigs Italian parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
3 sprigs thyme, leaves only, finely chopped
3 sprigs basil, leaves only, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled, split, germ removed, and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/4 pounds bay scallops
3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice

Toss together the bread crumbs, half of the parsley, the thyme, basil, and three quarters of the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Preheat the broiler. Butter six shallow gratin dishes (The dishes should be only about 1″ deep and about 6″ in diameter.)

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan or skillet over high heat until it is very hot. Pat the scallops dry, then season them with salt and pepper and slip them into the pan. (Do this in batches if necessary.) Cook, turning the scallops as needed, until they’re golden on both sides, 2 minutes.

Toss in the diced tomatoes along with the remaining parsley and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more, to cook off some of the tomato juice.

Divide the scallop mixture evenly among the gratin dishes and sprinkle an equal amount of the seasoned bread crumbs over each dish. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over each gratin and slide the dishes under the broiler for 2 minutes – watch them closely – or until the tops are golden brown.

To serve: The herb-crusted scallops should be served in their gratin dishes, so place the hot dishes on heatproof dinner plates, and rush the gratins to the table.

On a side note, my daughter and I went to Bar Boulud in London, and we weren’t impressed. Maybe they had a bad night. But if you’re ever in NYC, check out Café Boulud!

verdict: As much as I’m a devotee of white pepper, I felt like it was too strong of a flavor for this scallop dish. Otherwise, the dish was fantastic!

By Published On: August 1st, 201448 Comments on Scallop Tomato Gratin

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

48 Comments

  1. Our Growing Paynes August 1, 2014 at 8:43 AM - Reply

    That cookbook sounds amazing. I love how he divided it up. I miss going to NY and the dining experience. :)

    • chef mimi August 1, 2014 at 10:53 AM - Reply

      It is pretty fabulous.. with all the choices!

  2. Jody and Ken August 1, 2014 at 9:08 AM - Reply

    Looks tasty! Nice job on the tomatoes. :-) Ken

  3. apuginthekitchen August 1, 2014 at 9:24 AM - Reply

    Oh wow Mimi, just love your tomato gratin. I also know the Surrey well and have always wanted to eat at Boulud but never have. I also have that cookbook on my shortlist. Beautifully done and if you ever come to NYC again let me know!

    • chef mimi August 1, 2014 at 10:53 AM - Reply

      It might be soon as my daughter might be moving there! (Hopefully with a job first…)

  4. Amanda August 1, 2014 at 9:43 AM - Reply

    OMG Mimi, you were in my building and eating at all my joints! Cafe Balud is my go to spot to meet my husband during the work week and have a liquid lunch and a bahn mi with foie gras when we feel like eating like royalty at a regular price. I would totally have met you at Le Bernadin (I work right there and have a totally unjustified crush on Eric Ripert!) Best of luck to your daughter. Great recipe. It’s so perfect for summer and I”m totally going to make this.

    • chef mimi August 1, 2014 at 10:56 AM - Reply

      Funny! I really love that Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdin are best friends! Such an interesting duo! My daughter’s been in London for four years, and the government just confiscated her passport due to some clerical error. Her company has even sponsored her and she’s received one visa extension already. Crazy. So, I might be going back to NYC to visit her if she gets a job there… Then we can definitely meet!

      • Amanda August 1, 2014 at 11:00 AM

        That would be awesome. Sorry about the passport thing. Annoying. I love the duo too! I just saw them on Bourdain’s CNN show, Parts Unknown. They went to Peru, one of my favorite places and really highlighted the amazing culinary scene going on down there. They also have embarked upon a really high end chocolate business together. So funny.

      • chef mimi August 1, 2014 at 11:01 AM

        I saw the same show. Anthony is not a Buddhist!

      • Amanda August 1, 2014 at 11:46 AM

        Lol. Not even close.

  5. A Famished Foodie August 1, 2014 at 9:51 AM - Reply

    I am so jealous! The food all sounds fantastic, and the I will definitely be checking out this gratin. Great tip for the tomato peeling. Belated-congrats to you daughter, too haha.

    • chef mimi August 1, 2014 at 11:04 AM - Reply

      Thanks, she loved her time at Sotheby’s. After 4 years, she’s coming back to the US. Yay! (Although we will miss visiting her and all of those fabulous pubs…)

  6. Cecile August 1, 2014 at 10:23 AM - Reply

    Your daughter sounds like a real Go Getter – just like her mother! It’s sounds like you had a lovely time in NYC !! I was looking at some sea scallops the other day at the market but ended up with salmon and swordfish instead. Next time – I’m ‘gonna get me those sea scallops!”

    • chef mimi August 1, 2014 at 11:02 AM - Reply

      She’s done well. She’s lived in London for 4 years now, but it’s about to come to an end. Her sister is having a baby soon, so she needs to be closer, I think. It will be nice to have her in the US. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with salmon and swordfish!!!

      • Cecile August 2, 2014 at 11:52 AM

        You must be so very proud of your children !!

      • chef mimi August 3, 2014 at 4:41 PM

        Thank you. They’ve both done well and are wonderful citizens of the world!

  7. jonabouchard August 1, 2014 at 4:20 PM - Reply

    Looks yummy. Makes me want to eventually try out the Toronto location.
    PS: anecdotes alongside recipes are fun!

  8. anotherfoodieblogger August 1, 2014 at 4:48 PM - Reply

    Beautiful dish!

  9. saucygander August 1, 2014 at 6:48 PM - Reply

    Chef Mimi, this dish looks delectable and the book sounds really interesting. I wish we had a NY trip planned soon, but alas.

    • chef mimi August 2, 2014 at 6:00 AM - Reply

      I’m not really fond of NYC, but I will go for the restaurants!

  10. Conor Bofin August 2, 2014 at 1:38 AM - Reply

    Nice indeed Mimi. I love scallops so much. I rarely do anything more than sear them and make them disappear.

    • chef mimi August 2, 2014 at 6:01 AM - Reply

      And they certainly can disappear fast!!!

  11. Kristi August 2, 2014 at 6:13 AM - Reply

    Mimi, you are totally in my head right now! I was just thinking of making scallops! Thank you for the great recipe and inspiration!

  12. dedy oktavianus pardede August 2, 2014 at 9:10 AM - Reply

    wow, that’s a huge ass scallops Chef,
    Lucky you!!! i’m jealous
    i’m not sure to made a gratin with scallops here inindonesia because they used to be very2 small compare to the Hokkaido or US scallops and really tend to overcooked easily
    i think i’m gonna use giant prawn for this recipe…

    • chef mimi August 3, 2014 at 4:41 PM - Reply

      I bet that would be good as well! These scallops weren’t huge – the gratin pans were very small!!!

  13. chefjulianna August 2, 2014 at 2:29 PM - Reply

    Absolutely divine! :D

  14. flippenblog August 2, 2014 at 11:39 PM - Reply

    I checking out those big fat scallops of yours! Drooling. We only het little ones here damn…..

    • chef mimi August 3, 2014 at 4:40 PM - Reply

      I personally don’t prefer huge scallops. I always feel I must cut them at least in half first…

  15. StefanGourmet August 3, 2014 at 3:06 PM - Reply

    Nice story and nice recipe. Interesting that the scallops are browned first and then broiled, must be hard not to overcook them but I’m sure it adds lots of flavor. (PS did you mean 2 1/4 lbs scallops?)

    • chef mimi August 3, 2014 at 4:40 PM - Reply

      Oooops, yes I did mean pounds! The browning under the broiler took less than a minute, so that wasn’t a worry!

  16. DellaCucinaPovera August 4, 2014 at 5:17 AM - Reply

    no, but really. youre a gem of a mom. lucky both of you :)

  17. Karen August 4, 2014 at 6:56 AM - Reply

    This is a great recipe to try as my tomatoes in the garden are just ripening as well.

    • chef mimi August 4, 2014 at 9:06 AM - Reply

      Tomatoes are the best thing about summer, aren’t they?!!!

      • Karen August 4, 2014 at 9:13 AM

        It wouldn’t seem like summer without tomatoes from the garden. :)

  18. Phil @foodfrankly August 4, 2014 at 3:08 PM - Reply

    Completely with you on the simplicity Mimi. On the surface, this looks anything but though; it would make a great dinner party dish. Lovely combination of texture and flavours.

  19. kathysteger August 4, 2014 at 7:18 PM - Reply

    NYC has some of the most amazing restaurants, but even though I live just over the bridge in NJ we don’t visit there nearly enough.
    This is one delicious looking recipe Mimi. I must try it soon. We love scallops.

    • chef mimi August 5, 2014 at 7:41 AM - Reply

      My daughter might move to NYC next, so you can bet I’ll be visiting her and planning great dining experiences if that happens.Such fabulous ethnic hole-in-the-walls as well…

  20. cook it girl (@cookitgirl) August 5, 2014 at 8:08 PM - Reply

    You are an awesome mom! My mom would do the same:) Great recipe!

  21. Choc Chip Uru August 7, 2014 at 11:04 PM - Reply

    Mimi I just had lunch and now, I NEED to try this :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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