Up to now, when suggesting recipes, I’ve started out with a dish I wanted to cook, and chose the wine to pair with it. This time I knew the wine I wanted to serve, and had to select the food.

We sell as much California Chardonnay as any other wine in the store, yet it can be incredibly difficult to pair. Not only is the fruit profile tilted toward tropical fruits (pineapple, papaya, mango), but the copious amounts of butter and vanilla oak can make the wine appear to be sweeter than it really is.

To pair with the traditional California Chardonnay, we need something that has some inherent sweetness of its own. How about scallops? Scallops are very rich, and fast and easy to cook. The sweetness of the wine can stand up to a bit of spiciness, and a little smoky flavor works with the oak. Smoked Spanish Paprika is the magic ingredient.Scallops can be quickly seared, then in the same pan we can make a simple butter sauce flavored with the paprika. Voila! Pan Seared Scallops with Smoked Paprika Buerre Blanc. You get a rich delicious dish to go with your voluptuous wine.

Scallops with a Smoked Paprika Beurre Blanc

Recipe by Oscar Garcia

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Fresh Scallops
• 1 Shallot, finely minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 6 Tbs. Butter, cold and cut into 1 oz. pieces
• 1 tsp. Spanish Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. whole Black Peppercorns
• 1 Tbs. Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Pat dry and season liberally with salt and pepper. Make sure that scallops are well-seasoned and have no water.
2. In a medium sautee pan place over medium heat start to heat a combination of olive oil and 2 Tbs. butter.
3. Once the pan is hot, place scallops in pan. Do not overcrowd or the scallops won't brown.
4. Cook until lightly brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Set them aside in a cooking sheet.
5. Turn heat to low. Add shallots and peppercorns to pan. Saute until shallots are soft, about 2 minutes.
6. Add white wine to deglaze pan. Be sure to scrape up and brown bits stuck to pan. Cook on high heat until liquid is reducedby half.
7. Add remaining butter, one piece at a time, stirring constantly until butter is all incorporated and the sauce is smooth and shiny.
8. Season with smoked paprika and salt.
9. Place over warm sauce over warm scallops.

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