Scallops with Rosemary Balsamic Reduction

Sunday evening I was looking for a simple, healthy meal that had some pizzazz, so I decided upon scallops with this balsamic reduction. It was an easy meal to make, yet an elegant treat to end off my weekend properly.

Balsamic vinegar comes from grapes and, when concentrated, is actually quite sweet with a robust flavor. It is a refreshing taste and goes well with seafood. Although I served my balsamic reduction with scallops, you can certainly serve it with just about any other fish. I also added a fresh rosemary sprig to my balsamic vinegar as it was reducing, and this added a wonderful well-rounded flavor to the sauce.

Here is how I made it (for 2 servings—See Note 1):

• ½ cup Balsamic vinegar
• 1 sprig of Fresh rosemary (about 5-6 inches)
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 lb of Sea scallops
• Parsley to garnish

1. In a small saucepan add balsamic vinegar and bring to a simmer. Once it simmers, turn heat down to low so that the vinegar is just barely simmering. (See Note 2) Once the vinegar has reduced by half, it is ready. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig.
2. As the vinegar is reducing, add olive oil in a separate pan over medium heat and let heat for a minute or two.
3. Add the scallops flat-face down. Cook equally on each side until the scallops are opaque. This should take about 5-8 minutes.
4. Serve the scallops on serving dishes and drizzle the balsamic reduction over them. Sprinkle the parsley over the scallops to garnish.

Enjoy!

Notes:

1. If you make this for 1 serving, do not half the balsamic reduction recipe. If you do, there will not be enough liquid for the rosemary. Just save your leftover reduction and use it on another dish.
2. Keep in mind that the slower the vinegar cooks down, the more time the rosemary can release its oils into the reduction. You also want to pick the smallest saucepan you have because the less surface area there is, the slower it will reduce. Furthermore, you need some depth in the vinegar in the pan so that the rosemary can float freely and not burn.