Pan-Seared Scallops in Escargot Butter
Serves 10
15 mins prep
70 mins cook
80 mins Additional
165 mins total
Seared scallops finished in the shell with a spicy herb butter and served with warm ponzu. Buttery, savory, and perfect as a scallop appetizer for hosting or special occasions.
Scallops
Miso Herb Butter
Ponzu Sauce
For Serving
1-4 Hours Before: Dry your scallops very well with paper towels and place them on a wire rack with a baking sheet underneath. Sprinkle with salt and place them uncovered in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours. Drying out the surface like this is the secret to that perfect sear.
Hokkaido scallops
salt
1 Hour Before: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Slice 1/4 to 1/2 inch of the top off the garlic and drizzle olive oil into the exposed cloves. Place it in a garlic roaster or wrapped in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 1 hour. Take your butter out to get to room temperature.
head garlic
oz unsalted butter
Escargot Butter: In food processor squeeze out the roasted garlic and add the butter, parsley, chives, chervil, Serrano, white miso, caper juice, champagne vinegar, nutmeg, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Process until smooth.
bunch flat leaf parsley
cup chives
cup chervil
serrano
tbsp white miso
tsp caper juice
tsp champagne vinegar
dash nutmeg
lemon
salt and pepper
Ponzu: In a small bowl, combine the shallot, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, sugar, and bonito flakes. Stir to combine.
shallot
tbsp soy sauce
tbsp mirin
tbsp rice vinegar
tsp sugar
pinch bonito flakes
Prep the Scallops: Dry your scallops well again with paper towels Remove the side muscle and let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. If they still feel wet you can use a hairdryer on cool to dry the surface out even more.
salt
Prepare the Shells: Move your oven's rack to the middle and turn your broil onto high. Using half of the escargot butter, pipe or spoon a small amount into the center of each scallop shell. Place them onto a baking sheet with a wire rack in the middl rack and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until melted. Remove from the oven.
Sear the Scallops: Preheat a large skillet over high heat for about 3 minutes. Season your scallops lightly with salt. When the pan is heated, reduce the heat to medium-high, add enough oil to lightly coat the pan. Add the scallops in the skillet, giving them a little wiggle around the pan when you first place them. Sear without moving for about 3 minutes until deeply golden. Flip and cook for about 1 minute more.
Neutral oil
Place the scallop in the shells and add a dollop of escargot butter to the top of each one with the other half of the butter. Add back to the middle rack and broil for 2 more minutes.
Serve: Warm the ponzu sauce a little, and drizzle it over the scallops. Finish with chopped chives and lemon wedges.
chives
lemon wedges
You know that your scallops are done with they are firm on the outside but have bounce to them when pressed. They are best removed when the sides are opaque but the middle is just slightly translucent because they continue to cook. The ideal temperature is 125°F–130°F (52°C–54°C), but pull them around 120°F since they continue to cook.
