Pan Seared Scallops Recipe – Alton Brown Style.
We’ve done a few posts on seafood here on Platter Talk, one of my favorite gifts from the culinary world. It’s hard for me to say which seafood I love most. As my mom was known to comment on her six kids, “I love them all, equally.” I have to say the same when it come to food from the sea. With that in mind, this evening I decided to tackle scallops, a variety of fare from the ocean whose preparation in the kitchen has always eluded me. Except for tonight, thanks in large part to the legendary Alton Brown and his pan seared scallops recipe.
Pan Seared Scallops Recipe
To be clear, living in the landlocked portion of the United States known as Wisconsin has presented challenges when it comes to finding fresh seafood. It’s an oxymoron. Sure, we have an abundance of wonderful-to-eat fresh water fish such as perch, bass, and walleye from some of our bordering great lakes and even the rivers that flow through our state.
Seafood such as tuna, grouper, shrimp, lobster, – well they are an entirely different story. And scallops. We see scallops in the seafood cases of all the major grocery stores throughout the U.S. and these scallops appear ever so plump and juicy, just begging to be taken home and enjoyed. The very sad part of this scenario lies in the fact that many times their plumpness and juiciness lies not in their own natural goodness, but rather in the taste sucking evils of a preservative that goes by the name of sodium triphosphate (STP). Besides being used as a preservative for much of the seafood we see in our grocer cases, it’s also a primary component of detergents. Nice eh? Not.
The moral of this story: Seek out scallops that are not preserved in STP. Instead, look for dry-packed scallops. Dry-packed scallops are scallops that are shucked, packed up and shipped on ice without chemical additives. They taste better than wet-packed scallops, which are soaked in water and STP, meaning the scallop becomes bloated with water and food additives, resulting in a duller flavor. Scallops with too much moisture are also less successful in the pan, since excess water seeps out, preventing a flavorful crust from forming on the outside of the scallop as it cooks.
Dry-packed scallops may also have a stickier texture and a slightly more pronounced smell, which is nothing to worry about. They cost more, but have a naturally sweeter taste. We are fortunate to have a grocer who stocks dry pack-packed scallops and just as lucky to have a resource such as Alton Brown, whose recipe for seared scallops lists a prep time of five minutes and a cook time of three minutes. Can it get any simpler? Can it be any tastier? With dry-packed scallops, the answer to both questions is absolutely not. I hope you will give this pan seared scallops recipe a try. -Dan
Never miss another great Platter Talk Recipe
- 1 to 1¼ pounds dry sea scallops, approximately 16
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/seared-scallops-recipe.html?oc=linkback
- 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 1½ minutes on each side. The scallops should have a ¼-inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.
Warm serving plates in the oven to preserve and maintain the heat of the entrée.
Those look wonderful. They are something I still need to tackle in my own landlocked kitchen.
Michelle, I hope you try this recipe; it’s great for scallop novices like myself and it sounds you too! Thanks for the comments!
We love scallops! These look amazing!
Thanks, Ladies. These are so simple and so succulent. I hope you give them a try.
I don’t get to enjoy these enough and I should being out here in the Pacific NW. One of my favorite things to cook, especially when you get that gorgeous caramel sear on them. Yum!
Scallops are my fav! I saw on America’s Test Kitchen that you can soak the scallops in ice water and lemon for 30 minutes if you can’t find the dry packed ones 🙂 It’s saved me a few times!!
I completely agree with you on dry scallops – most vendors sell wet scallops and make no mention of that fact. I always ask and if they don’t know — I assume they’re wet and don’t buy them. I have two good fishmongers where I live and trust them to give me the real thing. Such a treat!
I just love scallops! Love the crispy caramelization on these!
I wanna pair this seared scallop with sake! Simple is always BEST!
Sounds like a perfect combo!
What a gorgeous, special treat these are. Scallops are something Hungry Hubby loves and orders if we go out for a romantic meal together – I must have a go at cooking them for him!
Wow, these scallops look amazing! I am going to have to try these!
I have a few scallop lovers in my family!
Scallops are totally delicious, and sometimes they are overcooked when you have them in a restaurant, but your recipe sounds perfect!
Well if this Altons recipe then you know they have to be crazy good! I love scallops and simply seared is always the way to go! 🙂
I feel your pain, we are in land locked Hungary and good quality seafood is both rare to find and expensive, well worth the expense for a special meal though 😀
Thanks for the comments, Brian and I’m in complete agreement with you!
Well done on these scallops! But now you have me freaked out about sodium triphosphate! In a good way though. Thanks for the heads up!
Thanks for the comments!
The perfect pan seared scallops has always alluded me also. Thanks for the great tips!!
Scallops are so delicious! I don’t know why I don’t cook them more often– so easy, right? These look beautiful.
Thanks for the tip on dry-packed scallops!
I love scallops. These look awesome! yesssss
Scallops are such a wonderful dinner item. All the ingredients in this recipe are so well paired.
Things I never knew about scallops… STP. On the way down to the freezer to check out the latest batch I bought from the restaurant supply store. They are huge but not as sweet as the ones I usually buy. Could this be the culprit? I’ll let you know! Thanks Dan!
Thanks so much for the comments, Beth! Happy scallop eating to your and yours!
Scallops are one of my weaknesses. I’ve never tried making them before, though!
My husband looooves seafood so he’d be over the moon if I made him these! Thanks for the recipe!
Ooh no not all equal for me!
Joint first place is lobster and crab, with very close joint seconds for large prawns and scallops, then below that come the rest – mussels, cockles, calamari, octopus, tiny prawns, whatever else you can think of!
😀
I haven’t tried scallops for long time. Now only going for salmon, shrimp. I think your recipe sounds delicious and when I buy the scallops I am going to try it.
Thanks so much, Swathi, I think you will enjoy this method of preparing this treat from the sea!