Seared Sea Scallops Over Pesto Sauce Recipes

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.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CREAMY PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Dry the scallops with paper towel to make sure there is no excess water. Sprinkle pinch of salt and pepper on each scallops on both sides.
• Heat the olive oil and melt the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the scallops and sear for about 2 minutes, until nice and gold. Using a tong, flip the scallops. If it's stuck to the bottom, don't force and cook a little longer. When it's ready, it should un-stick easily. Cook for 1-2 minutes on other side. Be careful not to overcook the scallops, which will toughen the scallops. Remove the scallops onto the warm plate. Set aside.
• Remove the skillet from heat and add pesto and heavy cream. Swirl the pan to mix the sauce.

SEARED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
• Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch saute pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops. Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.

SEARED DIVER SCALLOPS WITH CAPER-HONEY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a blender, combine the vinegar, capers, honey and about half of the dill and tarragon and blend until smooth. While blending, slowly add the olive oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve at room temperature for finishing.
• Score the scallops by making 1/8-inch-deep crosshatches across the top side of each (like a checkerboard). Season with freshly cracked black pepper. Dry the scallops thoroughly on paper towels.
• In a medium saute pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat until it just begins to show ripples. Place the scallops scored-side down into the oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the butter to the pan and flip the scallops over; cook for 1 more minute for medium rare. Season with salt.
• Place the scallops on a serving plate and spoon some of the caper-honey sauce over the top. Top with the remaining tarragon and dill.

SEARED SPICE-RUBBED SEA SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Make the salsa verde: Combine the mustard greens, parsley, mint, tarragon, capers, anchovies, garlic and lemon zest in a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Make the scallops: Combine the paprika, brown sugar, cumin, ground fennel, coriander, mustard powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper, then sprinkle all over with the spice mixture. Rub the spices into the scallops.
• Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the scallops to the pan in a single layer and cook until the bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown and the scallops are just cooked through, about 2 more minutes.
• Serve 2 or 3 scallops per plate; top each scallop with a dollop of salsa verde, sprinkle with the Cotija cheese and top with a Fresno chile slice. Serve with chile paste and garnish with microgreens.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS OVER PESTO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a non-stick skillet or frying pan, heat olive oil over moderately high heat until very hot.
• Season the scallops with toasted sesame ginger seasonings (or with salt and pepper).
• Add the scallops to the pan and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the bottoms get browned.
• Drizzle on top with soy sauce. Then add the butter to the scallops.
• Turn and cook until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice on top while cooking. Then turn them over again to cook for about another minute or so. About 3 minutes per side.
• Arrange dinner plates with a tablespoon of warm basil pesto sauce in the center of each plate.
• Lay 3 or 4 scallops on each plate. Optional: Add fresh cracked pepper on top.
• Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.
• Serves 3 to 4 ( with 3 or 4 scallops per serving)

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.

SAUTéED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Place a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat, and add to it 3 tablespoons of the butter. When it has melted and started to foam, place the scallops in the pan in a single layer, and season with a pinch or two of salt.
• Cook scallops without moving until the bottoms are golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes, then turn them over, add the wine and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes.

PAN SEARED SCALLOPS WITH A LIGHT PLUM TOMATO SAUCE AND A BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• In a saucepan add a touch of olive oil, plum tomatoes, 3 shallots and 4 cloves of garlic and cook until shallots are translucent. Add white wine and juice of 2 lemons. Bring to boil, reduce heat, let cook three minutes. Remove from heat and add all ingredients to blender and puree. This process may require being done in steps so that blender does not overflow. Strain pureed ingredients through chinoise, throw out pulp, reserve broth. Bring broth back up to at least 110 degrees. Place in a clean blender, add cubed butter with blender on high to emulsify, thicken sauce, season to taste.
• In a large pot bring to boil salted water and then cook pasta to al dente, refresh in ice bath and set aside. Toss in 1 tablespoon olive oil until ready to serve.
• In a blender, add 2 cloves of garlic, 1 shallot, basil, parsley and watercress, juice of the 1 remaining lemon, cover blender, turn on high. Slowly add 1 cup olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt -- add fresh cracked black pepper (a lot), briefly turn blender on. Transfer contents into a squirt bottle and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Place 1 saute pan over high heat until it smokes.
• In another saute pan place 1 teaspoon of olive oil, add 3 ounces of pasta, then 4 ounces of tomato sauce, check for seasoning of salt and pepper to taste.
• In smoking pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season scallops with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, then add to hot oil. Sear deeply until warm brown color turn each scallop over and finish in a 375 degree oven (for 3 minutes). In desired plate or bowl place pasta with sauce, when scallops are done arrange them on top of pasta. Liberally swizzle pesto over plate and garnish with purple basil sprig.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH PARSLEY AND SCALLION PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, adding salt until it tastes like seawater. Meanwhile, set a colander in a large bowl of ice water. Add the parsley to the boiling water and cook 1 minute, then remove with a slotted spoon. Immediately plunge the parsley into the ice bath and allow to cool, 3 to 5 minutes. Keep the water at a rolling boil.
• Drain the parsley slightly and put it in a blender (reserve the ice water). Add the sugar and olive oil and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water. Taste for seasoning. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the scallions; set aside.
• Prepare the asparagus: Add the asparagus to the pot and cook until crisp-tender and bright green, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the ice water to cool. Drain and pat dry. (The pesto and asparagus can be made up to 4 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate.)
• Cook the scallops: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil begins to smoke slightly, season the scallops with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the shallots and garlic and cook until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and virtually all of the liquid has evaporated. Add the asparagus and toss until warmed through.
• Arrange the scallops and vegetables on plates. Squeeze some lemon juice directly over the scallops. Top with the pesto.