Learn how to impress your friends and family with this seafood recipe. You need a few ingredients and stylish plating. Perfect for the Christmas holiday or any special occasion!
When I think about scallops, I think about the holidays. My mum used to make them all the time for my family.
I don’t know about you, but I tend to associate scallops with an elegant entree. It is common to read this type of dish on fancy restaurants’ menus. Making scallops at home can be easier than you think. The trick is to watch them though because overcooking them will ruin their texture and flavor in no time.
I got my scallops and all the other ingredients from Mariano’s in the meat & seafood department. Most scallops you purchase at the grocery store come without the tough muscle that attaches them to the shell. If not, it’s best to slice this off prior to cooking. It tends to be bitter, depending on taste. Give them a quick rinse in cold water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Set them aside while you gather your utensils for cooking.
It’s important with this dish to have everything at the table ready before you cook since this type of seafood takes such little time on the stove! Once you pull the scallops off the heat, you’ll want to serve them immediately.
Moist and full of flavor! The mild, buttery seafood paired with balsamic emulsion will add the perfect balance of flavors, sweet and savory. I personally paired the scallops with asparagus, but you can choose any other type of vegetables such as green beans or broccoli. You can also serve scallops on a bed of fresh spinach, kale, or with cooked collard greens.
Buon Appetito!
Seared scallops with balsamic butter emulsion
Ingredients
For the emulsion
- 2 cups balsamic vinegar
- 1 stick butter unsalted
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- freshly ground pepper
For the scallops
- 2 pounds scallops
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup clarified butter
- 2 springs thyme
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp butter unsalted
Instructions
- Place the vinegar in a medium nonreactive saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and ½ cup remains, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature. Place the butter in a skillet over medium heat and allow it to melt and turn light brown. Remove the butter from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. Gradually whisk the browned butter into the reduced balsamic vinegar. Wisk in the soy sauce and season with pepper to taste. Reserve the emulsion at room temperature.
- Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat the bottom of a skillet with clarified butter over a medium-high flame, until the butter is nearly smoking. Add the scallops to the pan, don’t crowd them (depending on the size of the scallops, you may need to do this in 2 batches). Do not shake the pan or move the scallops around. Immediately reduce the heat to medium and add a little more clarified butter to the pan. Cook the scallops until they are deeply brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn the scallops over and add a spring of thyme and a clove of garlic to the pan. Allow the scallops to brown slightly on the other side, continuously basting them with the hot butter, about 2 minutes. Transfer the scallops to a platter with a slotted spoon and reserve in a warm place. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and scrape with a wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits; remove the pan from the heat when the butter is completely melted.
- Spread an equal portion of the emulsion on each plate, top with the scallops browned side up, in the center, and steamed asparagus on the side.
This is a very interesting dish. The balsamic 🧈 butter reduction was what grabed my attention. Recently started using balsamic vinegar in my meals and is learning to appreciate it’s complex flavor. Can’t wait tp try this dish; very elegant. Great blog!
Thank you so much Kevin! Yes, balsamic vinegar is a great combination of flavors paired up with seared scallops. You’ll be surprised how good it is!!