Starter, French
Seared Scallops with Lemon Brown Butter
Five minutes of cooking, a golden crust and a nutty, lemony butter sauce.
- Total
- 20 min
- Hands-on
- 10 min
- Skill
- Medium
- Serves
- 2
- Cost for two
- about $24
Scallops are the fastest way to look like you trained in a restaurant. The cooking takes about three minutes; the real work is buying the right scallops and getting them bone dry so they caramelize instead of steaming. Brown butter, capers and lemon make the sauce in the same pan.
Video by Food Club FOX, embedded from YouTube. Their method may differ slightly from ours.
Ingredients
Method
Pull off the small tough side muscle from each scallop. Lay them on paper towels, pat the tops dry, and refrigerate uncovered for 15 minutes to dry further.
Season with salt just before cooking. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until it shimmers.
Place the scallops in the pan clockwise so you remember the order. Do not touch them for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, until a deep golden crust forms.
Flip in the same order, add the butter and let it foam. Spoon it over the scallops for 45–60 seconds. They are done when the sides are opaque but the very center is still slightly translucent. Move them to warm plates.
Let the butter turn hazelnut brown, about 30 seconds more. Add the capers for 20 seconds, then take the pan off the heat and add the lemon juice (it will splutter) and parsley.
Spoon the brown butter around the scallops and finish with a pinch of flaky salt.
Cook mode keeps your screen awake. Tap a step to mark your place.
Tips
- Buy 'dry' scallops. 'Wet' scallops are treated with a phosphate solution, release water in the pan and will not brown.
- Leave space between them. Crowding drops the pan temperature and you lose the crust.
- Rubbery scallops are overcooked scallops. Err on the side of pulling them early.
Make ahead
Prep and dry the scallops up to 4 hours ahead and keep them uncovered in the fridge on paper towels.
Plating
Three or four scallops per plate in a loose arc, crust side up. Sauce around, not over, so the crust stays crisp.
What to drink
Wine: Chablis, Champagne or another crisp, unoaked white.
Zero-proof: Sparkling water with lemon peel and a sprig of thyme.
Serve it with
Questions
Can I use frozen scallops?
Yes, if they are labeled dry-packed. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and dry them thoroughly.
What should I serve them on?
They are perfect on their own, on a spoon of pea purée, or over a few leaves of dressed salad.