Description
A recipe for cooking large sea scallops to a golden-brown crust and serving them with a simple brown butter sauce and sautéed garlic spinach.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb large sea scallops (about 12-16, U/10 or U/20 size, dry packed preferred)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 5 oz fresh spinach
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the scallops: Remove the small side muscle if present. Pat the scallops completely dry using paper towels. Season both sides lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cook the spinach: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach wilts down, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the spinach from the skillet and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean.
- Sear the scallops: Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter melts and the fat is shimmering, carefully place the scallops in the pan, ensuring they do not touch.
- Sear undisturbed for 2 minutes until a deep golden-brown crust forms on the bottom.
- Flip the scallops. Immediately add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. The butter will melt and begin to foam. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, tilting the pan and spooning the foaming butter over the scallops until they are opaque throughout. Do not overcook.
- Remove the scallops from the pan and set them aside.
- Finish the sauce: Let the remaining butter in the pan cook over medium heat. Watch it closely. It will foam, then the milk solids will begin to brown and smell nutty (this is brown butter). This takes about 1-2 minutes after the foam subsides.
- Remove the pan from the heat immediately. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt if needed.
- To serve, place a bed of garlic spinach on each plate. Top with the seared scallops and spoon the brown butter sauce over them.
Notes
- Use dry-packed scallops for the best sear; wet-packed scallops release too much water.
- Ensure the pan is hot before adding the scallops to develop a good crust quickly.
- Watch the brown butter carefully; it burns easily once it starts to turn brown.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan Searing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 scallops and 2.5 oz spinach
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 14
- Unsaturated Fat: 11
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 110