I have to admit something to you. I’m having an affair. Before you’re too shocked, let me get into the nitty-gritty details of who it’s with. It’s….it’s…SCALLOPS! I can’t resist them! They are the menu item that trumps all other items. Hangar steak, caprese or beet salad, grilled shrimp, roasted brussels sprouts, none of them stand a chance against an order of seared scallops.
They are bites of soft, flavorful, delicate, melt in your mouth goodness! One of the joys of living in Seattle is being so close to Pikes Place. Almost every weekend you can find me walking to get my morning coffee and heading down to Pikes Place market to visit my fruit and veggie stand and get my weekly supply of local grown fresh fruits and veggies. I then of course MUST look at each of the flower stands, now that they’re in season, and pick up a $5 bouquet to spruce up the house!
Well, last weekend, I decided to follow a whim! That whims name was scallops. For as many times as I’ve ordered and enjoyed them at a restaurant, I seldom cook them myself. But having fresh fish at my beck and call just go the better of me last weekend and I had to have them!
I remember the first time I made scallops. I was SO nervous that I would mess them up and let’s be real, their price point does not lend itself to an “oops” scallop. Rest assured, they are actually pretty simple to make. Two things to know when cooking scallops; first, don’t move them around the pan when you’re cooking them. Put them in the pan and let them be. Second, have all your other food ready and waiting. Once the scallops are cooked, you’ll want to plate and eat them.
Seared Scallops
Ingredients
- Fresh Scallops
- Olive Oil
- Fresh pepper and/or sea salt (optional)
- Start by preparing your side dish or plate decoration that you will be serving the scallops on. Once they are cooked you will want to consume them right away.
- Rinse the scallops and pat dry. I like mine without salt, but this is the part where you season with cracked sea salt and or pepper .
- Heat a non-stick sauté pan over a high heat and a tablespoon of olive oil. Your pan needs to be VERY hot, so seeing a tiny bit of smoke is okay.
- Place your scallops in your VERY hot pan, and DO NOT MOVE THEM! You want them to
sear each scallop on the flat side and seal in the crisp flavors. - After about two minutes flip the scallops. You can peek underneath before flipping to assure that you see a nice caramel-colored crust forming on the underside.
- Cook the scallops for about another minute. You don’t want to over cook them and you will want to sear them right after removing from the pan. Once the centers are still slightly translucent they’re ready to eat!
- Plate your scallops quickly and enjoy!
Another way you can serve scallops is seared with grilled shrimp, grilled cabbage slaw, cut mango and fresh lime. This is one of my favorite spring and summer meals. This makes for a delightful summer meal that’s healthy, and pairs perfect with one of my favorite summer libations, Adami prosecco!
January is about fresh starts, renewal, clean slates and expansive opportunity ahead. I’m not big on “resolutions” necessarily but I do like the atmosphere of new beginnings that January holds.
The fresh light yet peppery flavor of the salad paired perfectly with the cured meat and cheesy flavors of the chicken!
Lay a few springs of asparagus on top of the chicken, also in a horizontal pattern. Carefully wrap the prosciutto around the chicken and asparagus tightly and place into the pre-heated sauté pan with the seam on the bottom. Sauté for a few seconds until the seam on the prosciutto is closed, then turn over for a few additional seconds to get a nice crisp to the prosciutto then transfer to the lined baking sheet with your spatula.
