Lemon Scallops With Amontillado Sherry Food

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH SHERRY CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Choose the type of pasta you would like to pair with your scallops and sauce. Depending upon how long the pasta needs to cook to reach al dente, begin heating the water before you cook the scallops and cook the pasta while you cook the scallops and make the sauce. If however, you are cooking angel hair pasta, cook the pasta while you are making the sauce, and after you have cooked the scallops.
• Bring out the fresh scallops and pat them dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. Season the scallops with salt and pepper.
• Using a small skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the scallops, cooking 2-3 minutes on the first side. Do not fuss with them, just let them cook without touching them. You are wanting a nice, gentle sear. Flip to the second side and cook for 1-2 minutes. When they are opaque, but just and no more, remove them from the pan and set aside (cover with foil to keep them warm or place them somewhere warm).
• Remove the pan from the heat for a moment in order to add the minced shallot and celery seed. Sauté these two together for one minute off of the heat (the pan will still be hot). Return the pan to the heat with the sautéd shallot and celery seed combined, turn the pan to medium heat. Add the sherry and vinegar, cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the cream and bring the pan to a gentle simmer, reducing the sauce just enough to your preferred viscosity (thickness).
• Place the pasta in the dishes, pour the sauce over the pasta, placing the scallops on top of the pasta and sauce. Complete with a garnish, if desired, of chopped chives. Enjoy!

LEMON BUTTERED SEARED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Place the scallops on a paper towel-lined sheet tray and pat dry. Sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper.
• Preheat a large nonstick saute pan on medium-high heat, then add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the scallops and sear on one side until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently turn the scallops over and add the Lemon Butter, basting the scallops by gently spooning the melting butter over the top, for about 1 minute.
• Add the wine and lemon juice and allow the scallops to simmer until they are cooked through, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the scallops to a platter and sprinkle with the chives.
• Combine the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon the butter onto the lower third of a piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap over the butter and use a spatula to compress the butter into a log about 5 inches long and 2 inches wide. Twist both ends of the plastic wrap to seal the butter inside. Refrigerate the butter until firm, at least 30 minutes, before using.

LEMON SCALLOPS WITH AMONTILLADO SHERRY

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the garlic until soft.
• Mix together flour, salt and pepper and lightly dust the scallops with mixture. Add scallops to garlic and saute 2 minutes without stirring. Sprinkle with lemon zest and turn scallops over and cook another 3 minutes, until just opaque.
• Dissolve brown sugar in sherry and add to pan. Remove scallops with slotted spoon to a heated serving plate.
• Deglaze pan with lemon juice, reducing liquid by half. Drizzle over scallops.

SCALLOPS WITH CHORIZO & HAZELNUT PICADA

Steps:

• To make the picada, put ½ tbsp oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. After a few mins, drop a piece of the bread in - if it sizzles, reduce the heat a little and add all the bread in a single layer. Fry, turning frequently, until the bread is pale gold, then spread it out on kitchen paper to cool. Add the remaining oil to the pan, fry the garlic until golden and add to the bread.
• Toast the nuts until fragrant (they should smell toasted), then rub in a tea towel while still warm to remove the skins. Blitz the bread and garlic with the nuts, lemon zest and coriander in a food processor using the pulse button (you want a coarse mix). Mix in the vinegar, sherry and salt, and add lemon juice to taste.
• Look at the scallops to find a little white bit at the side - this becomes tough when cooked, so cut it off (watch our how to prepare scallops video). Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper (they don't colour well if you fry them when they're wet) and brush with extra virgin olive oil.
• Fry the chorizo in a little oil in a small frying pan until well coloured all over with a slight crust.
• Meanwhile, heat another pan until searing hot, add a small glug of oil, then the scallops. Season and cook for about 30 secs each side - you want just a little colour. Divide the scallops between the four shells, add the chorizo and top with the hazelnut mixture and a knob of butter. Put under a hot grill until cooked through (mine took about 90 secs). Squeeze on a little more lemon juice and serve immediately.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH LEEKS & LEMON CHILLI BUTTER

Steps:

• For the butter, mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, then beat well with a wooden spoon until there are no lumps of butter left. Spoon onto a large sheet of cling film, then wrap tightly in a sausage shape. Chill until firm (or put in the freezer if you're short of time).
• Set up a pan with a steamer or suspend a heatproof colander over the top of a pan. Cut the leeks in half lengthways, then slice into long strips, about the thickness of tagliatelle. Cover, then steam for 6 mins until tender, with no signs of squeakiness. Season, then set aside.
• Dry the scallops on kitchen paper and season. Heat a heavy-based pan, then add the oil. Once hot, add the scallops, keeping them close together - this helps the sides to stay straight and tall rather than sagging. Sizzle for 2 mins until caramelised and you can see the heat creeping up the outside. Turn over with a palette knife, then fry for 1 min more. Take off the heat, then add a few good slices of the butter to the pan, spooning over the scallops as it melts.
• To serve, wind a nest of warm leeks in the centre of 4 plates, top each with 3 scallops, spoon over the buttery sauce (it looks smart trickled around the plate), then sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Squeeze over a little lemon juice before you tuck in.

BAY SCALLOPS WITH POLENTA, WILD MUSHROOMS, SHERRY AND PARSLEY BR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Toss breadcrumbs with olive oil and parsley in medium bowl to blend.
• Spread onto rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake until golden and crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature.) Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add mushrooms and thyme.
• Sauté until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
• Add green onions; sauté 1 minute.
• Add Sherry; boil until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes.
• Add broth.
• Boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• Add cream; simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes.
• (Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Bring 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in heavy medium saucepan.
• Gradually whisk in polenta.
• Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Cook polenta until tender, adding more water as needed if too thick, and whisking frequently, about 20 minutes.
• Stir in 3 tablespoons butter.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover to keep warm.
• Reheat mushroom mixture.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in another large skillet over high heat.
• Add scallops and sauté until just translucent in center, about 1 minute.
• Stir scallops and juices into mushrooms.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide polenta among 6 plates.
• Spoon scallop mixture over polenta, sprinkle breadcrumbs over, and serve.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH PISTACHIO DRESSING

Steps:

• In a mortar, crush the anise seeds with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the garlic. Place pistachios and tarragon in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add anise mixture, oil, sherry and lemon juice. Process to a thick paste. Transfer to a small saucepan. Whisk in stock or water. Heat on low until tepid. Turn off heat.
• Heat a cast iron skillet or a griddle to very hot. Dry scallops. Brush a slick of oil on the pan, lower heat a bit and place scallops in the pan. Sear on medium-high until handsomely browned, 2 to 3 minutes. You'll know when the scallops have browned enough when they can be lifted with your spatula without ruinous sticking. Lightly dust scallops with salt, then turn them. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until scallops are browned on the bottom and just cooked through, another 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, gently warm the sauce. Whisk and add a smidgen of salt if needed.
• Spoon some of the sauce in the center of each of 4 warm dinner plates. Poise 3 to 4 of the scallops around the edges of the sauce pool and garnish with tarragon.

SCALLOPED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 500. In a medium saucepan over low heat, sautéshallots with a pinch of salt in 1 tablespoon butter for 8 minutes, or until softened and translucent, but not brown. Reserve. Add another tablespoon butter to pan, and sauté mushrooms with a pinch of salt for 8 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Return shallots to pan and add sherry. When sherry has reduced to about a tablespoon, add truffle butter, if desired, and heavy cream. Cook until cream is reduced by one-third. Reserve in a warm place.
• In a small skillet, melt remaining tablespoon butter, add bread crumbs and toss with a spoon until evenly coated. Reserve.
• Season scallops very lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Lay scallops in pan, and sear on one side until caramelized, about 3 minutes. Turn them over and turn off heat.
• Place scallop shells on a cookie sheet. Add parsley to sherry sauce, and spoon some sauce into each shell. Arrange 1 scallop in each shell, browned side up. Sprinkle bread crumbs over sauce, but not on scallops. Bake scallops for 3 minutes, or until bread crumbs are lightly browned.

BAY SCALLOPS WITH POLENTA, WILD MUSHROOMS, SHERRY, AND PARSLEY BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss breadcrumbs with olive oil and parsley in medium bowl to blend. Spread onto rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden and crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and thyme. Sauté until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add green onions; sauté 1 minute. Add Sherry; boil until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add broth. Boil until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add cream; simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. (Can be made 3 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Bring 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook polenta until tender, adding more water as needed if too thick, and whisking frequently, about 20 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.
• Reheat mushroom mixture. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in another large skillet over high heat. Add scallops and sauté until just translucent in center, about 1 minute. Stir scallops and juices into mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
• Divide polenta among 6 plates. Spoon scallop mixture over polenta, sprinkle breadcrumbs over, and serve.

EASY GARLIC-LEMON SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, and cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Add scallops, and cook for several minutes on one side, then turn over, and continue cooking until firm and opaque.
• Remove scallops to a platter, then whisk salt, pepper, and lemon juice into butter. Pour sauce over scallops to serve.