Seared thick sea scallops served with a simple asparagus and butter sauce.
So for a time, he would madly attack any scallop recipe that seemed halfway interesting.
The problem was that he just couldn’t get them right.
Elise Bauer
He had a hard time getting them browned, and more often than not, they were overcooked.
Here’s what we learned.
Sear Scallops in a Hot Pan
You need a screaming hot pan!
Elise Bauer
Now, theory doesn’t always translate to practice, you might still have some sticking.
But when the scallop is seared enough, it should move more easily.
Easy Asparagus Sauce
An asparagus sauce is an excellent way to complement the scallops.
Any leftovers can be used as a sauce for pasta.
Many sea scallops come with a tough flap of meat attached to them.
Just pull it off and either discard or use in a seafood stock.
Youre just pureeing them here, so youll never see the tips.
This part is more fibrous and will not break down as well in the blender.
Chop the asparagus spears into 2-inch pieces.
Boil the asparagus in a pot of salted water for 5 to 8 minutes.
This is longer than youd normally cook asparagus, but you want the spears to blend well later.
Remove the asparagus from the pot.
If you want to retain that vibrant green color, shock them in an ice bath.
Put the cooked asparagus in a food processor or blender.
Add half the chicken stock and puree until smooth.
Pour the sauce into a small pot and add the butter.
The sauce should be warm, not hot.
If the sauce is too thick, you might add more chicken stock.
Add salt to taste.
Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel.
Heat a saute pan on high heat.
Add your cooking oil, and let it heat up for 2 minutes.
The pan should be very hot.
If it starts to smoke, move the pan off the heat.
Lay in the scallops in the pan, well separated from each other.
You might need to sear in batches.
If your scallops are thicker than 1 inch, turn the heat down to medium-high.
Most sea scallops are about an inch.
Let them sear without moving for at least 3-4 minutes.
Keep an eye on them.
If not, let it back down and keep searing.
Then turn off the heat.
The residual heat will continue to cook the scallops for a few minutes.
Let the scallops cook for at least another minute, or more if you like your scallops well-done.
Garnish with a little chopped parsley if you want, and maybe with a wedge of lemon.
