How to Cook Scallops
Scallops are sweet, tender and delicious when cooked properly. The key factor in how to cook scallops that are moist and soft is to never overcook them. They only need a short amount of cooking time so make them at the very last minute and whatever you do, don't walk away from the stove as they are usually perfectly done in only 2 or 3 minutes depending upon size.Take a good look at your scallops before you put them in the pan to be sure the small, chewy muscle that is attached to one side of the scallop has been removed. Sometimes this tough muscle is already taken off before the scallops are packaged or frozen. If your scallops still have the muscle, it's easy to remove. Just peel it off the scallop with your fingers and discard.
Transcript
Hey, everyone. I'm Judith with Recipe.com, and today, I'm gonna
be showing you how to make Seared Scallops with Garlic
Butter, an elegant dish to serve at any dinner party.
So what we're gonna need is a pound of scallops.
I've got about 10 to 12 large scallops here, and
we've washed these and patted them dry. We have 2
tablespoons of butter. We have 3 cloves of garlic which
we've minced. We have an eighth of a teaspoon of
salt. We have 2 tablespoons of dried white wine, and
we have 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley. So, we're gonna
get our medium skillet and get it to a medium
heat, and we're gonna put in half of our butter.
Split it in half here. Into the pan it goes.
So as that butter is melted, let's add in our
garlic, and we're gonna swivel that around for about 30
seconds. So the pan gets nice and flavorful for our
scallops. Okay. So, now it's time to add our wonderful
scallops. Now, in the supermarket, scallops usually come like this,
but if you got fishmongers or, you know, if you're
a speciality store, sometimes, they might just come on the
shell, so what we'll do is we're gonna turn our
scallops over for about 2 to 3 minutes. Keep turning
them over so they get cooked through nicely. All right,
so our scallops are just about done. Now, you can
check if they're done once the scallops turn a nice
opaque color. They're nice and browned on the outside, so
we're gonna transfer that to our serving platter. And they
are just delicious. Scallops have a slightly sweet flavor to
them and they're super healthy, too, actually. They contain a
lot of vitamin B12 which is very good for you.
Now, with the remaining of our butter, we're gonna put
it into our skillet along with our white wine, and
we are just gonna take all of those loosened brown
bits of garlic and mix it all in together and
that is gonna be our wonderful sauce to put on
top. We've melted that butter and white wine together along
with our garlic and we're just gonna spread all of
that over our beautiful scallops. Oh. How gorgeous does that
look? There you have it, everyone. That is your Pan-Seared
Scallops with Garlic Butter. Well, thanks for watching, everyone. For
more great recipes and savings, go to Recipe.com.
What You'll Need
- 1 pounds fresh or frozen sea scallops
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives or parsley
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Step By Step
1
Thaw scallops, if frozen. RInse scallops; pat dry with paper towels.
2
In a 12-inch skillet cook garlic in 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat for 30 seconds. Add the scallops. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until scallops turn opaque. Remove from skillet and transfer to a serving platter. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and wine to the skillet. Cook and stir to loosen any browned bits. Pour over scallops; sprinkle with chives and salt.
3
Makes 4 servings
4
Seared Shrimp in Garlic Butter: Prepare as above, except substitute 1-1/2 pounds fresh or frozen medium shrimp in shells for the scallops. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Cook shrimp in the butter and garlic for 1 to 3 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque. Continue as above.
When you are learning how to cook scallops, it's important to know which type of scallops to buy. Sea scallops, like the ones used in this recipe, are sold in both "wet" or "dry" form. Look for dry scallops because these have not been treated with any chemicals. They will have an off white to a pinkish tan color and feel sticky to the touch. Wet scallops are treated with phosphates that make them look whiter and plump up since they retain water after treatment. If you're looking for a nice sear or crust on your scallops, it's next to impossible to get that with chemically treated wet scallops.
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