Description
Crispy seared scallops with lemon garlic butter deliver restaurant-quality elegance to home kitchens. Delicate marine flavors merge with rich butter, creating a simple yet sophisticated seafood experience you’ll want to savor again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.25 lbs (567 g) sea scallops, side muscle removed
- 3 tbsps (45 g) butter
- 1.5 tbsps (22 mL) olive oil or canola oil
- 2 tbsps (30 mL) fresh lemon juice
- 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsps chopped fresh parsley or other fresh herbs
- Salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preparation: Pat scallops completely dry with paper towels, ensuring no moisture remains. Season with sea salt just before cooking to prevent drawing out liquid.
- Heating Pan: Warm a heavy-bottomed skillet or cast iron pan to medium-high heat (375°F/190°C). Combine olive oil and unsalted butter, allowing the mixture to become intensely hot without scorching.
- Searing Technique: Arrange scallops in the skillet with ample spacing, preventing steaming. Allow each scallop to develop a rich caramelized crust undisturbed for 1½-2 minutes.
- Flipping and Finishing First Side: Use tongs to turn scallops, cooking the reverse side for an additional 1½-2 minutes until achieving a deep golden hue. Transfer cooked scallops to a warm plate.
- Creating Sauce: Reduce skillet heat to low, gently clearing any burnt particles. Melt remaining butter, introducing finely minced garlic and stirring consistently to release its aromatic profile.
- Finalizing Sauce and Scallops: After 30-45 seconds, add fresh lemon juice to create a silky sauce. Return scallops to the pan, gently coating them in the fragrant butter mixture and warming for 1 minute.
- Serving: Embellish with freshly chopped parsley, a subtle salt sprinkle, and freshly ground black pepper. Present immediately while scallops remain tender and sauce glistens invitingly.
Notes
- Dry Thoroughly: Removing excess moisture is crucial for achieving a crisp, golden-brown exterior on scallops, preventing steaming and ensuring perfect caramelization.
- Heat Management: Use a heavy-bottomed skillet and maintain medium-high heat to create the ideal searing environment without burning the delicate seafood.
- Spacing Matters: Place scallops with ample room between them to prevent steaming, allowing each piece to develop a beautiful golden crust.
- Sauce Timing: Create the lemon garlic butter sauce quickly after searing to preserve the scallops’ delicate texture and maximize flavor absorption.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 408
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 320 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg