Seared scallops with melted leeks and truffle cream

A friend gave me a jar of truffle cream -- a magical product that I had never heard about before. (This is the same friend who gives me birthday cheese, and old Time Life cookery books. He's a good guy.) The cream is a whole 'nother animal from truffle oil, which can taste faux, so don't be put off. Anyway, I've been thinking of ways to eat up this heavenly elixir and decided to make scallops with melted leeks and truffle cream. Holy smokes! It's dead simple to make and it doesn't take much time at all. So that makes for an easy weeknight supper that still feels like a splurge. If you don't have the truffle cream, that's okay too. It's just sooooo luscious with it.

There aren't many exact measurements in this recipe, as I just improvised. Enjoy!

Melt a nob of butter in a heavy saucepan, add thinly sliced (and carefully washed) leeks and stir to coat. Let sweat for a bit and then add 1/2 cup of water, salt and pepper. Turn heat down and melt leeks for 30 - 40 minutes, adding more water if it evaporates. Mixture should be wet at the end of the cooking time, but not soggy, so if necessary, crank up the heat at the end to get rid of too much water. "Melted" leeks will be basically falling apart at the end of the cooking time. (At this point you can shut the heat and leave it as you go get yourself another glass of wine, or grab your camera, or whatever it is you do as you waggle around the house.)

Meanwhile, sear seasoned scallops in a very hot lightly oiled pan for no more than 3 minutes on each side, leaving them slightly underdone. Remove from pan and tent loosely with foil. They will continue to cook while they rest. Steam spinach and add to a little butter in a skillet, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

When you are ready to serve, raise the heat on the leeks and add a splash of heavy cream. Let reduce until sauce is how you want it -- coating the back of a spoon is about right for me. Turn off heat and stir in a dollop of truffle cream if you have it. Place a mound of leeks in the middle of the plate and top with scallops (drizzle a little of the cream sauce over top). Serve spinach alongside.