Brown Butter Seared Scallops with Ellena Nascetta

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
16 sea scallops (about 1 pound) tough side muscle removed, patted dry (see step 1)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, sage, parsley, etc....
1 tablespoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

STEP 1: Place the scallops on a paper plate and gently dry them with a paper towel. Season with salt and black pepper.

Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn the scallops and add herbs and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Continue cooking, spooning the butter over the scallops, until browned on the bottom and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Divide the scallops among plates and spoon the lemon-butter sauce over them. Top with chopped fresh herbs if desired.

TIPS: Make sure that the skillet is not smoky but HOT. Starting with a hot pan ensures that the scallops will sear and not burn. Heat the pan until you see the first wisp of smoke or the butter begins to shimmer. Your goal is to get seared scallops, not steamed. To do this, allow space between the scallops so they can brown evenly. Overcrowding leads to boiled or steamed scallops and they will not taste as good.

Paired with Ellena Giuseppe Nascetta
Adapted from Eating Well October 2018

Brown Butter Seared Scallops with Ellena Nascetta

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