Scallops Provencal

Oooh look what flew into our fridge! Remember when I said I wanted to try Hitchachino Nest Beer?

I finally found this sucker in the far back corner at Whole Foods, and it was quite the pretty penny. 1 Pint was about $11 and I stood deliberating over those $11 for a good 10 minutes. Finally I succumbed and I had this little lovely (and some clementines):

That was where the excitement ended unfortunately. I tried the White Ale which was really a really unique flavor. A little bit sour while also a bit sweet. Not my favorite flavor. Nick deemed it undrinkable, but he likes brown ales so his opinion was biased from the beginning. I would be interested in trying the other brews under this label if it wasn't so darn expensive! Why spend that much on a pint when I can get a 6-pack of Toatsted Head or Blue Point for less then $10? I wouldn't...

On a side note, I noticed during this beer run that Whole Foods has "happy hour" prices at the tap for a few bucks off the growler refill charge. Cheers indeed!

We complimented the white ale with Scallops Provencal. A heartier scallop recipe, with divine flavors, I've posted it below and urge you to have faith. It seemed sac-religious to bread such beautiful seafood but it ends up not really "breading" them, more like "lightly seasoning" the flat sides. MMM I want it again already. Thanks to Chef Nick on this one! xN

Recipe from Food Network

• 1 pound fresh bay or sea scallops
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, cut in 1/2

Directions

If you're using bay scallops, keep them whole. If you're using sea scallops, cut each 1 in half horizontally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.
In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add thescallops in 1 layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total. Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops. Add the wine, cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice