Take beautifully seared scallops up a notch with a brown butter sauce.
A beautifully seared scallop is a delight to behold and a pleasure to eat.
It can be just a little challenging to accomplish though.
Elise Bauer
Scallops are naturally moist, so it takes high heat to sear them properly.
The scallops are perfect just as they are, with perhaps a squirt of lemon.
When shopping for scallops, choose only scallops that have a fresh, sweet smell.
Elise Bauer
If they smell fishy, they’re not fresh and they won’t taste good.
If you have a choice, look for “dry pack” instead of “wet pack” scallops.
The dry pack scallops will sear well.
Elise Bauer
The wet pack ones are almost impossible to sear.
The trick to cooking scallops is to sear them on very high heat.
Melt the butter on medium heat.
Elise Bauer
Allow the butter to foam up and recede.
After a few minutes, the milk solids will form and sink to the bottom.
Once the milk solids begin to turn caramel-colored brown, the butter will have a lovely nutty aroma.
Elise Bauer
Remove from heat and pour the browned butter into a separate bowl to stop the cooking.
If you wait too long, you’ll have blackened butter, not browned butter.)
Remove the “foot” of the scallop from each scallop.
Elise Bauer
(The foot is a small tough piece of meat that attaches the scallop to the shell.)
Pat dry the scallops.
Heat the oil in a cast iron pan or hard-anodized aluminum saute pan on high heat.
Elise Bauer
You may need to work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan.
Once you’ve placed the scallops in the pan, do not move them.
Allow them to sear.
Elise Bauer
Once both sides are browned, remove the scallops to a warm plate, and turn off the burner.
Pour out the remaining oil from the pan, leaving any browned bits in the pan.
Add the white wine to the pan and return the pan to the burner on high heat.
Elise Bauer
Let the wine boil and reduce until you have 2 tablespoons of liquid left in the pan.
Then turn off the heat, add the capers, lemon zest, and brown butter to the pan.
Place scallops on serving plates and pour sauce over them.
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
