Seared Scallops With Morel Cream Sauce Food

CREAMY SEARED SCALLOP PASTA

Steps:

• Prepare a pot with salted boiling water and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water just in case you need it to thin the sauce.
• Prepare your scallops using the tips from the post (pat them dry and don't sprinkle with salt and pepper till immediately before searing). Heat a large pan, I prefer non-stick or cast iron, with butter and oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add the dry, seasoned scallops and don't crowd them or mess with them! If they don't make a sizzle sound, your pan isn't hot enough. Leave them to sear for 2 minutes, or until a nice brown crust forms. Flip and cook another 2-2½ minutes or until you get the same crust on the opposite side. Set the scallops on a warm plate and cover with foil.
• In the same pan, use the leftover butter/oil to saute the chopped shallot and garlic, about 2 minutes until softened and fragrant. If your pan is dry, use 1 tablespoon more butter or oil. Deglaze the pan by adding broth, scraping up any browned bits (this basically means add broth to a hot pan which should bubble up and start to simmer). Then add cream and bring to a simmer for about 3-4 minutes until the sauce has thickened (it will still be fairly thin, that's ok, it will thicken once the pasta is added).
• Add your cooked pasta and toss with the sauce, simmering to thicken it a bit more. If your sauce is too thick or isn't coating the pasta well, add in 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water till it reaches your desired consistency. Add in fresh chopped parsley and kosher salt and pepper to taste. Top with the cooked scallops.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH CREAMED CORN

Steps:

• Slice the kernels off 4 ears of corn. Grate the remaining 2 ears on the large holes of a box grater.
• Bring 1/2 cup water, the vinegar, sugar and a big pinch of salt to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat; add the sliced red onion and set aside to pickle, at least 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the diced red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the evaporated milk and grated corn. Simmer until thick, 5 to 7 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, about 1 more minute.
• Divide the corn among bowls and top with the scallops. Drain the pickled onion, reserving 2 teaspoons of the liquid. Toss the onion and liquid with the tomatoes, basil and parsley; season with salt. Add to each bowl.

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.

SIMPLY SEARED SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Pat sea scallops dry with paper towels. Season with some lemon juice, salt, and pepper on one side.
• Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over high heat. Place scallops in the skillet seasoned-side down. Cook until browned on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Season with remaining lemon juice, salt, and pepper; flip. Continue cooking until opaque, about 2 minutes more. Garnish with lemon zest.

COQUILLES ST. JACQUES (SCALLOPS WITH MUSHROOMS IN CREAM SAUCE)

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and add the shallots. Cook briefly, stirring, and add the mushrooms. Cook until wilted and add the salt, pepper, and wine. Add the scallops and bring to the boil. Cook until all the scallops are heated through, stirring gently as necessary. Take care not to let the scallops overcook or they will toughen. Using a slotted spoon, remove and set aside the scallops and mushrooms. Reserve the liquid. There should be about 3/4 cup of liquid. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring rapidly with a wire whisk. When blended add the reserved liquid, stirring until thickened and smooth. Add the milk and 1 cup of the cream. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of cayenne. Whip the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Fold it into the sauce. Use 6 individual scallop shells or ramekins. Spoon equal portions of the scallops and mushrooms into each shell. Spoon the sauce over the scallop mixture. Preheat the broiler to high. Place the filled shells under the broiler about 6 inches from the source of heat and bake until a nice brown glaze forms on top. As the scallops broil, turn shells occasionally for even browning, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, oregano, thyme and lemon pepper. Roll scallops in flour mixture until lightly coated on all sides.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet or frying pan over high heat. Add 4 scallops to the pan and sear on all sides (about 2 minutes for each side). After turning scallops, add 1 tablespoon parsley and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Remove scallops from pan and place on a plate in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Repeat until remaining scallops are cooked, tossing each batch with parsley and lemon juice.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TARRAGON CREAM

Steps:

• Pat scallops dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add scallops and cook until brown on bottom, about 3minutes. Turn scallops over and cook until opaque in center, about 1 minute longer. Transfer scallops to plate. Tent with foil.
• Reduce heat to medium. Melt butter in same skillet. Add flour, stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Simmer until thick and smooth, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in tarragon and any juices from scallops on plate. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon onto plates. Arrange scallops, brown side up, atop sauce.