Pan Seared Scallops With Lemon Sauce Recipes

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium-sized bowl combine salt and hot water, stirring to dissolve the salt. Add ice water to cool the brine. Add scallops to the brine and let stand for 10 minutes. Line a sheet pan with paper towels, set aside.
• Drain the scallops, rinse under cold water, and then arrange in a single layer on the paper towel-lined sheet pan. Place another paper towel on top of the scallops and gently pat scallops. Remove as much surface moisture as possible for the best browning results when cooked.
• Allow scallops to sit for 10 minutes at room temperature before cooking.
• In a 12-inch saute pan or cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until oil ripples and just begins to smoke.
• Sprinkle scallops lightly with salt on both sides.
• Place scallops into the hot pan without crowding. Gently press scallops with a spatula to make direct contact with the pan.
• Sear scallops without moving them, continuing to cook until bottoms are a rich golden brown, 3 to 3 ½ minutes.
• Add butter to the pan. Turn the scallops over and cook the second side. Use a spoon to baste the scallops with the butter, tilting the pan to collect the butter as needed.
• When the scallops are opaque in color and firm to the touch, about 1 to 2 minutes, turn off heat and transfer to a plate, do not discard pan.
• In the same pan used for cooking the scallops turn heat to medium. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add wine. Simmer wine, stirring as needed until the wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• Turn heat to high and add the chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice and capers to the pan. Cook until sauce is reduced by half, about ½ cup, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Turn off heat and whisk in Dijon mustard.
• Turn heat to medium and add scallops back to pan, cook until warm, 2 minutes.
• Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Garnish scallops with chopped dill, chives and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemon in long strips. Squeeze 1 1/2 tablespoons juice from lemon. Combine wine, shallots, garlic, and lemon peel in heavy small saucepan. Boil until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Add cream and turmeric and boil until mixture thickens and is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 13 minutes. Pour mixture through fine strainer; discard solids in strainer. Return sauce to pan. Whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before serving, bring to simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Working in batches, add scallops to skillet and sear until browned and almost opaque in center, adding remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil to skillet as needed, about 1 minute per side. Transfer scallops to rimmed baking sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made 20 minutes ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Bake scallops until just opaque in center and heated through, about 3 minutes. Divide sauce among plates. Arrange scallops atop sauce and serve.
• What to drink:
• Go ahead, splurge. The William Fevre "Fourchaume" 2004 Chablis Premier Cru ($28, France) - creamy and rich, with lemon and grapefruit flavors - would be divine.

LEMON BUTTERED SEARED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Place the scallops on a paper towel-lined sheet tray and pat dry. Sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper.
• Preheat a large nonstick saute pan on medium-high heat, then add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the scallops and sear on one side until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently turn the scallops over and add the Lemon Butter, basting the scallops by gently spooning the melting butter over the top, for about 1 minute.
• Add the wine and lemon juice and allow the scallops to simmer until they are cooked through, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the scallops to a platter and sprinkle with the chives.
• Combine the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon the butter onto the lower third of a piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap over the butter and use a spatula to compress the butter into a log about 5 inches long and 2 inches wide. Twist both ends of the plastic wrap to seal the butter inside. Refrigerate the butter until firm, at least 30 minutes, before using.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Pat scallops dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the scallops to skillet and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining scallops, adding more oil to the skillet as needed. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges on the side.

PAN-SEARED LEMON AND GARLIC SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Place scallops in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Cover and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• Combine 5 tablespoons warm butter, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl; whisk until combined. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• At the same time, remove scallops from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat, making sure it does not smoke. Brush scallops with garlic mixture and add to the pan. Cook until the bottoms begin to sear and turn golden, about 2 minutes. Flip scallops, brush with garlic mixture, and cook another 2 minutes. Remove scallops from the heat and let them continue to cook while they rest, off the heat, for 5 more minutes. Plate and serve.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• 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.
• Pat the scallops dry with paper towels, add them to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper; work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the skillet. 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.
• 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, to make a creamy sauce, adding another tablespoon or two of liquid if necessary.
• 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.
• Variation:
• Seared Scallops With Cherry Tomatoes and Basil: Skip the lemon juice. Cut 1 pint cherry tomatoes in half. Add the tomatoes with the garlic and wine and cook until they wrinkle a bit and release their juice, 2 or 3 minutes. Use chopped fresh basil leaves instead of chives.
• Cooks' Notes
• Releasing From The Pan: The scallops will offer no resistance when they're ready to turn. Press down gently while the scallops cook to encourage full contact with the pan, then listen for a hiss: That's moisture heating and evaporating.
• Getting A Good Sear: The idea is to brown the scallops well on both sides without overcooking them, so keep the heat as high as you can without creating too much smoke.
• Building Sauce With Butter: After you add the liquid and deglaze the pan, the addition of butter develops fantastic creaminess and richness.
• Finishing The Dish: As soon as the scallops are cooked through completely and coated with the sauce, remove the pan from the heat; they will continue to cook. Nick-and-peek into one if you need to check for doneness.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH BROWN BUTTER AND LEMON PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut 2 lemons in half and squeeze juice into a measuring glass or small bowl; you should have 1/4 cup juice. Set aside. Using a paring knife, cut ends off remaining lemon to expose flesh. Upend lemon on a cut end and remove peel and white pith from lemons; discard. Cut between membranes to release segments into bowl with juice; squeeze membranes to get any last drops of juice. Fish out any seeds; set aside. Thinly slice chives and place in a small bowl; set aside.
• Pull side muscle off scallops, if needed; pat dry. Season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet, preferably stainless steel, over medium-high. Pour in oil to lightly coat surface (2-3 Tbsp.); heat until it shimmers and you see first wisps of smoke. Swiftly place scallops into skillet, flat side down, and cook without touching, tossing, or fussing until underside is deep golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Use a thin spatula or tongs to gently turn over; if they resist, cook another 30 seconds and try again. Cook on second side until flesh at top and bottom looks opaque but there is still a faintly translucent strip in the middle, 1-2 minutes, depending on size. Transfer scallops to a plate.
• Pour off any oil in skillet and set over medium heat. Add butter and cook, swirling, until butter foams, then browns, about 2 minutes. Add reserved lemon juice and segments; energetically stir and swirl pan to emulsify sauce. Mix in capers and reserved chives and spoon pan sauce around and over scallops.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) from lemon in long strips.
• Squeeze 1 1/2 tablespoons of juice from lemon into a small bowl and set aside.
• Combine lemon peel, wine, shallots and garlic in heavy small saucepan. Boil until mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes.
• Add cream and turmeric and boil until mixture thickens and is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 13 minutes.
• Pour mixture through fine strainer and discard solids.
• Return sauce to pan and whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 200C/400°F Rinse scallops (remove coral and set aside if attached) and pat dry with paper towels.
• Toss scallops in bowl with salt and pepper.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over high heat.
• Working in batches, add scallops to skillet and sear until browned and almost opaque in center, about 1-2 minutes each. Add remaining butter and oil as needed.
• Transfer scallops to rimmed baking sheet and bake about 3 minutes.
• While scallops are baking, saute corals in same pan for 1-2 minutes, if using.
• Divide sauce among plates and arrange scallops and coral atop sauce and serve.