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Simple Sea Scallops Persillade

5.0(348)

Sea scallops are available all year, but are abundant and quite welcome in winter. Like all shellfish, they are best when they are ultra-fresh. If you can get them like that, just let the freshness shine. These simple scallops are nearly naked, adorned with nothing more than butter, garlic and parsley. The idea is to accentuate, not mask, that straight-from-the-sea feeling.

by David Tanis

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Dinner, Quick, Main Course

Servings

4 servings

Total time

20 min

Calories / serving

208 kcal

Ingredients (7)

serves

8 freshly shucked sea scallops, about 1 ounce each, cleaned, with coral attached if possiblescallop
Salt and peppersalt-and-pepper
2 tablespoons olive oilolive-oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butterbutter
4 garlic cloves, mincedgarlic
4 tablespoons roughly chopped flat leaf parsleyparsley
Lemon wedgeslemon

Instructions (4 steps)

01Rinse scallops to rid them of any sand. With a paring knife, remove the small hard “foot” from the edge of each scallop. Blot scallops dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
02Put olive oil in wide cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot and nearly smoking, place scallops in pan in one layer. Leave scallops until well browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes, then turn and cook for 1 minute on other side. Remove scallops to a plate, browned side up.
03Wipe pan clean with paper towels and return to stove. Turn down heat slightly. Add butter and swirl pan to melt. Add garlic and let it bloom — that is, cook without browning for 30 seconds. Return scallops to pan, browned side up, and gently heat through. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons parsley and turn off heat. Put 2 scallops per person in scallop shells or small shallow bowls.

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Rich recipe — supports nutrition-aware planning.