Seared pan scallops
- Kaelin
- May 27, 2020
- 2 min read
Get fancy.
Best for: dinner, serves 4
Difficulty: easy
Time: 30 minutes
Recommended pairings: roasted baby potatoes, green beans gremolata
If you like this, try... Baked cod with chorizo and tomatoe
I wanted to make something special for Memorial Day, so I decided to go for seared scallops. My family loves seafood, but we've never had scallops at home before. This classic preparation is incredibly easy if you watch the scallop carefully as they cook, and comes together very quickly. The butter sauce is very light, but it makes the flavor. You can replace the chicken stock in this recipe with white wine for an even richer flavor.
Ingredients
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 pounds sea scallops
Salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
First...
Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into pea-sized pieces, put it on a small plate, and stick it in the freezer.
Heat a large skillet over medium-heat high for 3 or 4 minutes.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil and wait for the butter to melt.
Then...
Pat the scallops dry with paper towels (very, very important!!!), add them to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper; work in batches if necessary. They should be at least an inch apart.
Cook, turning once, until they are well browned on both sides but not quite cooked through, 2 minutes per side (less if the scallops are under 1 inch across; more if they’re over).
Transfer the scallops to a plate.
Then...
Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, and wine and scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet with a spatula.
Lower the heat to medium and cook until the liquid in the skillet thickens, a minute or two, then whisk in the butter you chilled in the freezer, one bit at a time.
Finally...
Return the scallops to the skillet and add the chives.
Adjust the heat so the sauce bubbles gently and toss to coat the scallops with the sauce.
To serve, transfer the scallops to a platter and spoon the sauce over all.
TIPS:
When the scallops are done searing, they should come off the pan without resistance
You want your pan to be as hot as possible, but not too hot so that a lot of smoke is created
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