Roasted Garlic and Spinach Soup with Grilled Scallops Recipe

This recipe is brought to you by our partner the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance!

Recipe by Chef John Pontius of Finely J.P.’s Restaurant and Bar

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

5 whole garlic bulbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon each, salt and pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
8 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
¾ cup flour
½ cup white wine
5 cups chicken stock, low sodium
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to your taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
¾ lb. sea scallops

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut tops off garlic heads to expose the bulbs and remove any excess papery skins. Place in a large sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Close the foil around them, leaving a space between the bulbs and the foil. Place on a baking sheet in the oven. Roast until bulbs are soft and fragrant, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from oven, cool and squeeze out the garlic cloves into a bowl. Mash the garlic with a potato masher or fork.

In a heavy bottom three-quart pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add the mashed roasted garlic and chopped spinach, and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring well. Stir in the flour and cook for 5 minutes. Using a wire whisk, stir in white wine and chicken stock, one cup at a time. Add in heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 40 minutes.

Preheat char-grill.

Place scallops and the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Gently turn the scallops with a rubber spatula. Grill scallops approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Place scallops in soup bowls and ladle soup over them.

Serve with fresh baguette or similar bread.