Pan Seared Scallops – Barefeet in the Kitchen

Elegant sufficient for a flowery event and quick sufficient to serve any night time of the week, this scallop recipe may turn out to be your new favourite approach to eat seafood.

Restaurant high quality scallops are simpler to make at house than you ever thought! Every chunk of those scallops has a light-weight and almost-sweet taste, highlighted by the caramelized crust on the skin.

Pan Seared Scallops

Much like an oyster or a clam however much more tender with a touch of candy taste, recent scallops are irresistible when cooked the proper method. Pan searing is by far my favourite approach to take pleasure in scallops.

For years, I solely ate scallops at eating places. Since scallops are extra pricey than shrimp and most different seafood I cook dinner, I used to be nervous about losing my funding by cooking them poorly at house.

Once I lastly put aside my concern, I couldn’t imagine how simple and fast it was to cook dinner seared scallops! My complete household loves scallops now.

Whether or not you take pleasure in indulging in scallops while you go to a restaurant otherwise you’ve by no means tried them earlier than, I do know you’re going to like this simple recipe.

A restaurant-quality meal made proper in your individual kitchen. Served for a romantic date night time or a household meal, these seared scallops are certain to impress!

Learn how to Clear Scallops

Nowhere close to as finicky as lobster or crab, scallops are simple sufficient for even a newbie cook dinner. You possibly can even get them ready and able to cook dinner at any grocery retailer with a seafood counter.

I like that there’s no de-tailing or bone elimination concerned and nearly no prep time. The one prep for the scallops is definitely non-obligatory. Verify over the scallops as you’re dealing with them and take away the little side-muscle when you discover any nonetheless hooked up.

This muscle seems like a bit of tag of tissue on the aspect of the scallop. It feels harder than the remainder of the scallop and might be a bit robust and chewy when cooked. It’s simply high quality when you depart it on (and generally it’s already been eliminated), some persons are bothered by it and plenty of others are usually not.

Simply rinse the scallops below cool operating water and pat them dry. I place them on a paper towel-lined plate or small sheet pan after rinsing them after which use one other paper towel to ensure they’re fully dry.

As soon as the scallops are dry and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil right into a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high warmth and add the scallops.

Learn how to Pan Sear Scallops

Let the scallops cook dinner within the oil on the primary aspect for a few minutes till calmly browned. They’ll cook dinner rapidly, inside a few minutes, so don’t stroll away from the pan!

Take away from the pan and serve instantly. Seared and served recent, scallops are by no means fishy or robust. You’ll love the caramelized crust and light-weight buttery style!

Learn how to Select Scallops

Search for the freshest caught scallops you could find! They need to be spherical, plump, and about 2-inches in diameter with a creamy white shade (not yellow).

For this recipe, “dry” scallops work finest, versus “moist” varieties which might be packed in a salty brine as a preservative.

Whereas recent is most well-liked, you possibly can actually make this recipe with frozen scallops. Simply allow them to thaw totally within the fridge and dry nicely earlier than searing.

Learn how to Cook dinner Scallops

The concept behind searing scallops is that they cook dinner rapidly leading to a calmly crisped crust and a flaky melt-in-your-mouth inside. You need to cook dinner them quick at a excessive warmth.

Once I make scallops, I cook dinner them for nearly two minutes on both sides. The precise time will rely on the warmth of your pan and the scale of your scallops.

Uncertain when it’s time to flip the scallops? They’re prepared to show after they launch from the pan and are calmly browned or after they turn out to be considerably agency to the contact. In case your finger is sinking into the scallop while you gently poke it, they want a bit extra time.

Watch out to not cook dinner the scallops for too lengthy! When overcooked, scallops turn out to be rubbery and hard with little taste. Nobody needs that.

Whereas extra delicate than shrimp and salmon (the 2 seafood dishes I make most frequently), I’ve been pleasantly shocked by how simple it’s to cook dinner scallops so long as I stored an eye fixed on the time.

Scallops have turn out to be a brand new favourite for a pleasant dinner at house over the previous 12 months. My youngsters completely love them too.

Are you able to cook dinner scallops forward of time?

Seared scallops needs to be served instantly for finest taste. Whilst you can completely retailer leftovers within the fridge and reheat gently within the microwave, they gained’t be as beautiful as when first cooked.

Fortunately, they’re fast as lightning to cook dinner so you possibly can have recent seared scallops on the desk in much less time than it takes to make nearly some other protein.

Wait to cook dinner the scallops as the very last thing you do earlier than serving the meal. Put together the whole lot else first, in order that the scallops might be served instantly after cooking, whereas they’re at their finest.

Serve these scallops with a aspect of Italian Herb Rice, Lemon Butter Pasta, or Rice Pilaf and a inexperienced salad. Or serve scallops with Lemon Butter Pasta and this Peach Caprese Salad. Attempt Shrimp Cocktail as an appetizer for a meal that can have everybody smiling.

In search of extra easy seafood recipes to make dinnertime a breeze? Children and adults alike love the Smoked Salmon Pasta with Pine Nuts and this Chipotle Lime Salmon.

{initially printed 2/10/21 – recipe notes and pictures up to date 11/13/24}