Pan Seared Scallops With A Light Plum Tomato Sauce And A Basil Pesto Recipes

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH JAMMY CHERRY TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-low and add the butter to melt. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant.
• Add the wine and cook until about half the liquid has evaporated.
• Add the tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tomatoes have released their juices and almost completely collapsed. Transfer the tomato mixture to a small dish (use a rubber spatula to get every last bit of the sauce!), then carefully wipe out the pan with a damp paper towel.
• Pat the scallops dry. Add the grapeseed oil to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is very hot, add half the scallops, spacing them evenly in the pan, and season with kosher salt. Cook without moving for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook for 1 more minute. Don't overcook! Transfer the scallops to a plate and repeat with the remaining scallops, adding more oil if necessary.
• Drain any remaining oil and take the skillet off the heat. Return the tomatoes and their juices to the skillet and squeeze in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Return the scallops to the skillet, nestling them into the tomatoes. Top with the zest of both lemon halves, julienned basil and mint, and a generous sprinkle of coarse sea salt, and serve immediately.

SUN-DRIED TOMATO SEARED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• If the sun-dried tomatoes are moist, dry in a 200 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until dry.
• Grind the sun-dried tomatoes in a blender until they became a smooth powder; remove from the blender and set aside.
• Add the basil (reserve 2 sprigs for garnish), orange juice, and lemon juice to the blender. Blend on medium speed while drizzling 1/4 cup of the olive oil into the mixture.
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the garlic. Saute the garlic for 15 seconds (do not burn), then add the zucchini. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until the zucchini softens. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomato, then take off the heat.
• Heat another nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper and all but 1 teaspoon of the reserved sun-dried tomato powder. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and add the scallops slowly to prevent spattering.
• Cook for about 3 minutes, then flip to the other side. Let cook for another 2 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• To serve, mound the zucchini mixture in the middle of two dinner plates. Place 5 scallops around each mound. Drizzle the vinaigrette around the dish. Garnish with basil sprig and a sprinkling of tomato powder.

BASIL PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS OVER PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, rinse, and transfer to a large serving bowl.
• Meanwhile, place scallops in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper. Pour mixture over scallops. Arrange scallops in a single layer in a large baking dish or plate. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried basil over scallops so that only one side is sparsely coated with basil.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high, and melt one tablespoon of butter in the pan. Place 12 scallops basil-side down, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until dark golden brown. Turn scallops, and cook the other side. Cook the remaining 12 scallops the same way.
• In a small saucepan, melt remaining butter with 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon basil, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Toss pasta with butter and olive oil mixture. Divide pasta onto plates, and top with scallops.

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TOMATO & BASIL WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Rinse scallops well then lay out on paper towels to remove moisture.
• 1. Squirt the olive oil in a sauté pan. The hotter the pan, the better the sear on the scallops will be.
• 2. Place the scallops in the pan, making sure they aren't touching. Sear each side until golden brown, or about four to five minutes per side. When done, remove them to a plate and set aside.
• 3. Deglaze the pan with the wine and let it reduce, then add the tomatoes.
• 4. Sauté for 30 seconds, and then add the garlic and basil.
• 5. Cook for two minutes, and then stir in the butter.
• 6. Plate the scallops and add the sauce.

SCALLOPS WITH PESTO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Season scallops with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.
• Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and add scallops. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Add pesto and capers; mix well. Stir in heavy cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and serve.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TOMATO BEURRE BLANC

Steps:

• Make beurre blanc:
• Soak tomatoes in warm water until softened, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and pat dry, then mince. Stir together tomatoes, butter, and salt, then form into an 8-inch log on a sheet of plastic wrap and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour. Cut tomato butter into 12 equal pieces.
• Cook shallot in 1 piece of tomato butter (keep remaining butter chilled) in a small heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining cold tomato butter 1 piece at a time, adding each piece before previous one has completely melted and lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool mixture (sauce should not get hot enough to separate). Whisk in water and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer beurre blanc to a bowl and keep warm, covered, in a larger bowl of warm water.
• Sauté scallops:
• Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear 6 to 8 scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter as cooked and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Sear remaining scallops in same manner, wiping out skillet and adding about 1 teaspoon oil between batches.
• Spoon 3 tablespoons beurre blanc onto each of 6 plates, then top with scallops.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into pea-sized pieces, put it on a small plate, and stick it in the freezer. Heat a large skillet over medium-heat high for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil and wait for the butter to melt.
• Pat the scallops dry with paper towels, add them to the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper; work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the skillet. Cook, turning once, until they are well browned on both sides but not quite cooked through, 2 minutes per side (less if the scallops are under 1 inch across; more if they're over). Transfer the scallops to a plate.
• Stir in the garlic, lemon juice, and wine and scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet with a spatula. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the liquid in the skillet thickens, a minute or two, then whisk in the butter you chilled in the freezer, one bit at a time, to make a creamy sauce, adding another tablespoon or two of liquid if necessary.
• Return the scallops to the skillet and add the chives. Adjust the heat so the sauce bubbles gently and toss to coat the scallops with the sauce. To serve, transfer the scallops to a platter and spoon the sauce over all.
• Variation:
• Seared Scallops With Cherry Tomatoes and Basil: Skip the lemon juice. Cut 1 pint cherry tomatoes in half. Add the tomatoes with the garlic and wine and cook until they wrinkle a bit and release their juice, 2 or 3 minutes. Use chopped fresh basil leaves instead of chives.
• Cooks' Notes
• Releasing From The Pan: The scallops will offer no resistance when they're ready to turn. Press down gently while the scallops cook to encourage full contact with the pan, then listen for a hiss: That's moisture heating and evaporating.
• Getting A Good Sear: The idea is to brown the scallops well on both sides without overcooking them, so keep the heat as high as you can without creating too much smoke.
• Building Sauce With Butter: After you add the liquid and deglaze the pan, the addition of butter develops fantastic creaminess and richness.
• Finishing The Dish: As soon as the scallops are cooked through completely and coated with the sauce, remove the pan from the heat; they will continue to cook. Nick-and-peek into one if you need to check for doneness.