Seared Scallops With Champagne Saffron Sauce Recipes

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.

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS IN CREAMY CHAMPAGNE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large, high sided skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the bacon is crisp tender. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Turn off the heat and use a spoon to transfer some of the bacon grease to a small bowl. Leave about 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pan (for searing scallops).
• While the bacon is cooking, prepare the scallops. Make sure they are completely thaw (run under cool water until they are thaw.) Use your fingers to remove the side muscle from each scallop, if they are there (sometimes it just falls off and you don't need to worry about it. It's not difficult to find. The side muscles are just a little bit tough, which is why we are removing them.)
• Pat each scallop dry with a paper towel, then sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Don't go too crazy, scallops are naturally briny.
• Turn the heat on to medium high. When the bacon grease is very hot and shimmery (but before it smokes! or it will turn black instead of golden) add all the scallops to the pan, one at a time, with at least 2 inches of space in between each scallop.
• Sear scallops on medium high heat for about 1 and 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until there is a golden crust on the bottom. If you look at the side of the scallop, it should look cooked about 1/3 of the way up.
• Carefully flip each scallop, then immediately turn off the heat. Let the other side sear for about 1 minute.
• Remove the scallops to a plate and set aside.
• Add 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease that you removed back into the pan. Add the shallots to the hot pan (medium high heat). Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Add 2 teaspoons of flour and cook for 1 more minute.
• Add 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar. This is optional (and expensive) so you can skip it if you want. I like the flavor it adds.
• Add 1 cup champagne or white wine. I use a Sherry cooking wine. Turn the heat up to high and cook for about 2 minutes, until it has evaporated some.
• Add 1 and 3/4 cup chicken broth (see note). Continue cooking over high heat for about 3 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
• Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup cream, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, and 2 teaspoons fresh thyme.
• Add the scallops to the pan and coat with sauce to heat through. Keep the burner on low if your pasta is not ready yet.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pasta. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 1/2 tablespoon of salt (or just add salt until it tastes like the ocean).
• Add the linguine and stir. Keep stirring occasionally until the pasta is almost al dente, about 7 minutes. In the last minute of cooking time, add a few large handfuls of spinach to the water. Drain the pasta and spinach and return it to the pot.
• Add about 1 cup of the sauce to the pot of pasta and stir. (if your sauce is not finished, drizzle pasta with olive oil, to keep it from sticking.)
• Divide the pasta between two plates. (see note). Top with scallops and plenty of sauce.
• Microwave the bacon for about 20-30 seconds to warm it.
• Sprinkle each plate with bacon, fresh thyme, and shredded parmesan cheese.

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH A SAFFRON CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove the scallops from the packaging and place them on kitchen paper to ensure they are dry.
• Place the half of the butter (1/4 stick/30 g) and the olive oil into a non stick frying pan and melt over a medium high heat until it is starting to foam.
• Think of the frying pan as a clock and add the scallops to the foaming butter starting at 12 o'clock and then working around clockwise.
• Cook over a medium high heat for 1 1/2 minutes until golden brown.
• Carefully, starting at 12 o'clock again, flip the scallops and cook for a further minute.
• Remove scallops from pan (starting at 12 o'clock again) and place them on a plate near the hob.
• Turn the heat to high and add the wine to the pan.
• Allow this to bubble for a couple of minutes, then reduce the heat and add the saffron.
• Stir well and whisk in the remaining butter (1/4 stick/30 g).
• Once this has melted add the cream and whisk until slightly reduced and thickened.
• Return the scallops to the pan and serve garnished with parsley.

SEA SCALLOPS AND SHRIMP WITH CHAMPAGNE BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet (or two skillets, if necessary). Add the mushrooms and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and cook briefly. Do not brown. Stir and add the champagne. Keep stirring until the champagne is almost evaporated. Add the cream and bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce to two-thirds over high heat.
• Add the scallops and shrimp. Add salt and pepper. Add the Tabasco and bring to a boil over high heat for 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Serve immediately.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CHAMPAGNE GRAPES AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in very large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook butter until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add scallops; cook 2 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to plate; tent with foil. Melt remaining butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and grapes; sauté until shallots are golden, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and any accumulated scallop juices. Bring mixture to boil; season with salt and pepper. Stir in almonds and parsley.
• Place 4 scallops on each of 4 plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CHAMPAGNE SAFFRON SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat, add the saffron threads and toast them just until they start to give off their aroma(not very long, be sure not to burn them).
• Take the saffron threads out of the skillet and set aside.
• Melt half of the butter in the pan and start frying the scallops in batches, adding more butter as needed. Fry them so they are cooked through and lightly browned on each side.
• Transfer the scallops to a warm dish and keep covered.
• Add the saffron to the cooking juices, along with the champagne, cream, and any reserved scallop juices and stir.
• Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat slightly and simmer for about 10 minutes, until reduced to a consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
• Add freshly squeezed lemon juice from the half a lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Return the scallops to the pan and stir until just heated through.
• Transfer to plates and garnish with parsley. Enjoy :).