PAN-SEARED SEA SCALLOPS

Although I’ve been a pescatarian for over 15 years, I truly don’t have a favorite seafood; there are too many delicious fish in the sea – and lakes and rivers – to favor only one. I do, though, have a few that I turn to when having friends and family over for dinner. These are the fish and shellfish that appear glamorous on the plate and also taste fabulous on the palate.

Among these tasty lookers are sea scallops. Generally eco-friendly bivalves, scallops fall into two categories —— the tiny, costly bay and larger, more abundant and less expensive sea. The latter is what you usually see at grocery stores and restaurants. At present diver-caught, Pacific sea scallops are the best choice for consumers.

If you want beautiful presentation, you can’t go wrong with sea scallops. Whole, they resemble plump, round pillows perched atop a china or porcelain bed. Cut into them and you’ll find pearl colored, jewel-like, mildly sweet flesh. Just gorgeous!

FRYING SCALLOPS

As with most seafood, scallops are a snap to prepare. They cook quickly and don’t need much to make them shine. A dash of salt and pepper or squeeze of lemon or lime juice will do the trick.

If you want a more complex dish, you can add a variety of ingredients to your scallops. Among the foods with which they marry are avocado, bacon, basil, chile peppers, cilantro, cream, garlic, ginger, grapefruit, mango, pancetta, shallots, spinach, tomatoes, vinegar and wine. They also go well with unsalted, brown or clarified butter. Out of this trio, I prefer brown butter and dressing my scallops with a drizzle of this.

PAN-SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WTIH BROWN BUTTER DRIZZLE
I like to serve these over a bed of mixed greens or homemade polenta. They also pair nicely with a side of garlic pea puree.
Serves 4

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 scant tablespoon olive oil
1 pound large sea scallops
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Mixed greens or polenta, optional, for serving

Using a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, swirling the pan over the heat. Continue cooking and swirling the pan. A foam will form and then slowly disappear. At this point the butter should be turning golden in color. Three to four minutes after foaming, the bubbling butter should begin to smell nutty and bits of milk solids will begin to turn brown. Give the butter a final swirl, remove from the heat, and set aside.

In a large nonstick frying pan heat the olive oil on high. Add the scallops, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to medium-high. Sear the scallops until brown on the bottom and almost cooked through; depending on the size, this will take between 3 and 4 minutes. Flip them over and fry the other side for 1 to 3 minutes. Don’t overcook them as the scallops will become tough and chewy.

Lay the scallops on optional beds of mixed greens or polenta or just on dinner plates. Drizzle the brown butter over top of each and serve immediately.