broiled prosecco-scallops w/ panko crumbs

We eat a lot of scallops here; seafood I never tire of. My local fishmonger is wonderful, patient (because I ask way too many questions) and always knows what's the best catch of the day. He has the best and biggest scallops, as well as the best lobster around. I'm a huge fan of the big scallops not so much of the bay scallops. Although bay scallops are perfect for a seafood sherry bisque. This broiled prosecco-scallop dish came about by the mere fact that I had no white wine in the house, nor any lemons!. And refusing to freeze the scallops because I just think they freeze awful unless you vac-seal them to perfection, I searched the cupboards for something to use. Not finding anything I remembered the bottles of champagne and prosecco I have stored in the garage for special occasions. Perfect! I knew instinctly champagne might be too bitter when cooked, but prosecco is perfect because of it's sweetness.
What a hit these were. I was shocked at how super moist the prosecco kept the scallops while broiling, as well as lending a gentle extra sweetness to the scallops. The best part was how easy and fast this was to throw together. A recipe keeper for sure. Keep this one in mind when you what to impress friends and haven't a lot of time.

cook notes: lemon will not go so well with this. you can try it, but it doesn't taste right and overpowers the sweetness of the prosecco. i love using panko crumbs because the stay nice and crispy. serve the remaining cold prosecco when serving this dish. PLEASE make sure you know your oven broiler well, as these are scallops and they cook fast! i think adding a pinch of tarrgon to the panko crumb mixture might be nice next time.

broiled prosecco-scallops w/ panko crumbs
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about 10 - 12 large scallops, washed, nibs removed
1/4 cup of cold prosecco (or so)

fresh chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

in a large (high heat) casserole dish spray the dish w/ olive oil or coat with butter. place scallops in a single layer not too close to each other. salt & pepper the scallops. then pour 1/4 cup or so of the ice cold prosecco over the scallops. let them soak all that goodness in for a few minutes. prepare crumb topping. most important: don't walk away from broiler when scallops are in there!

crumb topping:
about 3/4 to 1 cup of panko crumbs (more or less?)
1 stick of melted butter

combine both in a dish; season with a hint of salt & pepper; set aside.

Preheat oven broiler to 450/500 degrees. bake the scallops till just done maybe 4-5 minutes? recipe by dawn finicane of vanillakitchen.blogspot.com. add on the panko crumb mixture and put back under broiler until panko crumb topping is nice and brown--maybe 2 minutes? watch it, it cooks quick