Poached Scallops With Capers Recipes

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH LEMON CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium-sized bowl combine salt and hot water, stirring to dissolve the salt. Add ice water to cool the brine. Add scallops to the brine and let stand for 10 minutes. Line a sheet pan with paper towels, set aside.
• Drain the scallops, rinse under cold water, and then arrange in a single layer on the paper towel-lined sheet pan. Place another paper towel on top of the scallops and gently pat scallops. Remove as much surface moisture as possible for the best browning results when cooked.
• Allow scallops to sit for 10 minutes at room temperature before cooking.
• In a 12-inch saute pan or cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until oil ripples and just begins to smoke.
• Sprinkle scallops lightly with salt on both sides.
• Place scallops into the hot pan without crowding. Gently press scallops with a spatula to make direct contact with the pan.
• Sear scallops without moving them, continuing to cook until bottoms are a rich golden brown, 3 to 3 ½ minutes.
• Add butter to the pan. Turn the scallops over and cook the second side. Use a spoon to baste the scallops with the butter, tilting the pan to collect the butter as needed.
• When the scallops are opaque in color and firm to the touch, about 1 to 2 minutes, turn off heat and transfer to a plate, do not discard pan.
• In the same pan used for cooking the scallops turn heat to medium. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add wine. Simmer wine, stirring as needed until the wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• Turn heat to high and add the chicken stock, lemon zest, lemon juice and capers to the pan. Cook until sauce is reduced by half, about ½ cup, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Turn off heat and whisk in Dijon mustard.
• Turn heat to medium and add scallops back to pan, cook until warm, 2 minutes.
• Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed.
• Garnish scallops with chopped dill, chives and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

SEA SCALLOPS WITH BROWN BUTTER, CAPERS AND LEMON

Steps:

• Pat scallops dry with paper towels, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan or nonreactive skillet over medium-high heat, and add oil. After 30 seconds, add scallops; do not crowd pan, work in batches if necessary. Sauté until well browned, about 2 minutes, then turn and cook other side. When second side is dark golden, transfer scallops to a platter; cover and keep warm.
• Return sauté pan to heat, add butter, and cook until it begins to foam and turn golden. Add shallot and capers, sauté for 1 minute, then add lemon juice (being careful to avoid sputtering butter) and chopped parsley.
• To serve, place 3 scallops on each of 4 warmed plates. Spoon butter, shallots and capers over scallops, and serve.

POACHED ACHIOTE SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Saute the onions with the salt until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and achiote paste and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to avoid scorching. Add the tomato paste and pour in the fish stock or clam juice and boil 5 minutes longer. Stir in the pepper and vinegar and remove from the heat.
• Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree. Pass through a strainer. The sauce keeps up to 4 days
• To finish, pour the sauce into a large skillet. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the scallops or shrimp, reduce the heat to medium and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Serve over a bed of white rice and garnish with the capers.

SEA SCALLOPS POACHED IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• For 1 1/2 pounds whole scallops. Simmer 1/2 tablespoon minced shallots for 3 minutes with 1/3 cup each of dry white French vermouth and water plus 1/2 teaspoon salt and a small imported bay leaf. Then add the scallops and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, just until lightly springy to the touch. Remove from heat and let cool in the liquid at least 10 minutes, to pick up its flavor. Remove scallops, discard bay leaf, and rapidly boil down liquid until almost syrupy.
• serving suggestions: fines herbes
• Stir fresh minced parsley and/or dill, tarragon or chives into the reduced liquid, and briefly reheat scallops, folding in, if you wish, a few tablespoons of heavy cream.
• provençal-with tomatoes
• Stir 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, juiced, and chopped fresh tomatoes (see box, page 30) and 1 large clove of minced garlic into the reduced liquid. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, then uncover and boil down rapidly to thicken. Season. Fold in the scallops and reheat briefly. Fold in minced parsley or other green herbs and serve.
• Note
• Simmering times for quartered sea scallops and bay scallops, 15 to 30 seconds; for calicos, bring just to the simmer.

WHITE WINE-POACHED SCALLOP AND HERB SALAD

Steps:

• Bring wine, a pinch of salt, bay leaf, celery, and fennel to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer; cook until vegetables are just tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a medium bowl; discard bay leaf. Set aside. Add scallops to pan; simmer until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer scallops to bowl of vegetables; refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup poaching liquid in a small bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 20 minutes.
• Stir lemon juice into poaching liquid. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Slice scallops in half horizontally; toss with dressing and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Toss herbs, celery leaves, and fennel fronds in a small bowl, then divide among 4 serving plates. Top each with scallops and vegetables, dividing evenly. Drizzle with oil and dressing from bowl. Garnish each salad with a lemon wedge.

POACHED SCALLOPS WITH CAVIAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring the clam juice and heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Add the butter and whisk to incorporate. Set aside.
• Bring the court-bouillion to a simmer in a pan large enough to accommodate the scallops. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the scallops to the simmering court-bouillon and poach gently until they are cooked just to rare, about 1 1/2 minutes for large scallops, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes for jumbo scallops.
• To serve, place a bed of rock salt on each plate and rest a scallop shell on it (if you do not have scallop shells, serve the scallops in shallow bowls). Place 3 large scallops or 1 jumbo in each shell.
• Meanwhile, gently reheat the sauce. Remove from the heat, add the caviar, and stir until the caviar is just heated through, about 45 seconds. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the sauce, add the chives, and season with pepper. Spoon the sauce over the scallops, making sure the caviar is evenly distributed. Serve immediately.

SCALLOPS WITH LEMON & CAPERS

Steps:

• Stir broth, capers, cornstarch, garlic, zest, juice, salt and pepper until cornstarch dissolves.
• Melt 2 tsp butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
• Add scallops and cook for 4-5 minutes, turning once, or until they are golden and cooked through.
• Remove scallops to a plate.
• Add broth mixture to skillet and bring to a boil.
• Boil 1 minute or until slightly thickened.
• Remove from heat and add in 1 tsp butter and parsley.
• Pour over scallops.