Main Dishesculinaryhill5.0
Pan-Seared Scallops with Lemon Butter
These pan-seared scallops are cooked until golden and finished with a simple lemon butter sauce for a fast, elegant meal.
👥 4 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 20 min⏳ Prep: 10 min🔥 Cook: 15 min👤 Meggan Hill📖 culinaryhill
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●oven
- ●baking sheet
- ●skillet
- ●saucepan
- ●pan
📝 Preparation Steps
1
To make the scallops:
2
Preheat oven to 200 degrees (to keep cooked scallops warm for a few minutes while preparing lemon butter sauce). To prepare the scallops, examine each one for a side muscle, a square-shaped bit of tissue that runs in the opposite direction as the rest of the muscle. Pull it off by pinching it and tearing it away from the scallop.
butter2 tablespoonsbutter (½ stick), cut into 4 pieces4 tablespoons
3
Line a rimmed baking sheet or plate with a clean kitchen towel. Arrange scallops in a single layer on towel, then cover with a second clean kitchen towel. Press down gently to blot liquid.
4
Let scallops rest at room temperature until towels have absorbed most of their moisture, about ⏱️ 10 minutes. Season both sides of scallops with salt and pepper to taste.
5
In a large skillet over high heat, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until just smoking. Add half of the scallops in a single layer, flat-side down. Cook, without moving, until well-browned, about 1 1/2 to ⏱️ 2 minutes.
vegetable oil2 tablespoons
6
Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Using tongs, flip scallops. Continue to cook, using a large spoon to baste each scallop with butter until the sides of scallops are firm and centers are opaque, about 30 to ⏱️ 90 seconds longer (tilt skillet to one side so the butter pools and is easier to scoop). Remove smaller scallops as they finish cooking.
butter2 tablespoonsbutter (½ stick), cut into 4 pieces4 tablespoons
7
Transfer scallops to a large plate and tent loosely with foil. Wipe out skillet with paper towels and repeat with remaining vegetable oil, scallops, and butter. Transfer to oven to keep warm while preparing lemon butter sauce.
vegetable oil2 tablespoonsbutter2 tablespoonsbutter (½ stick), cut into 4 pieces4 tablespoons
8
To make the lemon butter sauce:
butter2 tablespoonsbutter (½ stick), cut into 4 pieces4 tablespoons
9
In a small, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Cook, swirling constantly, until butter turns dark golden brown and has a nutty aroma, about 4 to ⏱️ 5 minutes.
butter2 tablespoonsbutter (½ stick), cut into 4 pieces4 tablespoons
10
Stir in shallots until fragrant, about ⏱️ 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and stir in parsley, thyme, and lemon juice.
lemon juice2 teaspoons
11
Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper). Serve immediately with scallops.
Nutrition Facts
calories
334 kcal
fat Content
25 g
serving Size
6 ounces
fiber Content
1 g
sugar Content
1 g
sodium Content
818 mg
protein Content
21 g
cholesterol Content
86 mg
carbohydrate Content
7 g
saturated Fat Content
17 g
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