Seared Scallops With Tarragon Scallion Sauce Food

TARRAGON LOVER'S SCALLOPS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Place half of the scallops in the skillet without crowding; cook until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove scallops to a plate. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 tablespoon butter in the skillet, and cook remaining scallops. Remove to plate.
• Wipe out skillet, and return skillet to medium heat. Pour in wine, and boil 1 or 2 minutes, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Reduce heat to low, and whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter; just softening butter to form a smooth sauce. Stir in salt, lemon zest, and tarragon. Pour sauce over scallops.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TARRAGON-BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat scallops dry and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper (total).
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then sear scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.
• Add shallot, wine, and vinegar to skillet and boil, scraping up brown bits, until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add juices from platter and if necessary boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Reduce heat to low and add 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until almost melted, then add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and swirl until incorporated and sauce has a creamy consistency. Stir in tarragon and salt to taste; pour sauce over scallops.

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.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH BACON, TARRAGON AND LEMON

Steps:

• Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until crisp but not dry and drain on a piece of paper towel. Leave 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pan (there probably won't be much more than that, but discard any extra if there is).
• Season the scallops with salt and pepper, to taste. Increase the heat under the skillet to medium-high, add the butter, and sear the scallops until brown and glossy, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the scallops to a plate and set aside.
• Remove pan from heat and add the vermouth and lemon juice. Now return the skillet to the heat and stir with a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Stir in the water.
• While the sauce reduces, slice the scallops in half vertically. Slip them into the reduced sauce with the tarragon, parsley, and bacon bits and give the skillet a swirl to bring everything together. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Divide the scallops with their sauce among small plates or Asian soup spoons and serve immediately.

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.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TARRAGON-BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat the scallops dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until the foam subsides, then sear the scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.
• Add the shallot, wine, and vinegar to the skillet and boil, scraping up any brown bits, until reduced to 2 tablespoons. Add the juices from the platter and if necessary boil until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Reduce the heat to low and add 3 tablespoons butter, stirring until almost melted, then add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and swirl until incorporated and sauce has a creamy consistency. Stir in the tarragon and salt to taste; pour sauce over scallops.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH SPICY CARROT COULIS

Steps:

• Make the coulis: Put carrots, garlic, onion, vinegar, cayenne, salt, honey and broth in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until carrots are very soft, about 15 minutes. Purée all ingredients thoroughly in a blender and strain if necessary - it should be very smooth. Taste, and adjust seasoning. Coulis should not be too thick, but rather similar to a thin milkshake. Keep warm if not made ahead.
• Prepare the scallops: Set 2 wide cast-iron skillets or a large griddle over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, film with olive oil. As oil heats and just before cooking, season scallops with salt and pepper on both sides. When oil is wavy, place scallops in pan without crowding. Leave scallops undisturbed to brown well and crisp on one side, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until cooked through, but juicy. Place scallops browned side up on paper towels to blot bottoms.
• To serve, ladle about 1/4 cup warm coulis onto individual warmed dinner plates. Set scallops on top, browned side up. Sprinkle with cilantro, chives and sliced chiles. Serve with lime wedges.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TARRAGON WHITE WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Pull muscle off each scallop; discard. Pat scallops dry; dredge with cornstarch.
• In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat; sear scallops until opaque and crispy brown on both sides, about 4 minutes. Transfer to plate. Wash out skillet.
• Tarragon White Wine Sauce:.
• In same skillet, melt butter over medium heat; cook shallot, salt and pepper; until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add wine; cook, stirring until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add cream; cook, stirring until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in tarragon and chives. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
• Return scallops to pan; heat through.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH HERB BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 12" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
• Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat until quite hot.
• Pat scallops dry one more time and put them in the pan in a single, uncrowded layer.
• Season with salt and pepper and let sear undisturbed until one side is browned and crisp, 2-4 minutes.
• Using tongs, turn the scallops and sear until the second side is well browned and the scallops are almost firm to the touch, 2-4 minutes.
• Take the pan off the heat, transfer the scallops to a plate, and set them in a warm spot.
• Let the pan cool for a minutes before you make the sauce.
• When pan has cooled somewhat, return it to medium heat.
• Add a piece of the butter and the shallots and saute until shallots begin to soften, about 1 minutes.
• Add wine and simmer until reduced by half, another 1-2 minutes.
• Add the herbs and lemon zest.
• Reduce heat to low, add the remaining butter, and whisk constantly until the butter melts into the sauce.
• Return the scallops and any accumulated juices to the pan.
• Gently roll the scallops in the sauce to warm them through.
• Taste for salt and pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over the scallops.

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH TARRAGON-SCALLION SAUCE

Steps:

• Separate the scallops on a large plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Dice scallion bulbs and chop the green tops, discarding the tips.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add scallion bulbs and a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to low, and cook 20-25 minutes, until very soft. Add the green tops, toss through, and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until soft but still bright green.
• Sprinkle the flour over and cook for a minute or two. Add the milk, raising the heat to medium, and cook briefly until thickened.
• Add the tarragon leaves and stir through, then turn off the heat and pour the mixture into a blender. Puree until very smooth, then return to the pan over low heat, cooking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Pour a thin film of oil in the bottom of a sauté pan and warm over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the scallops a few at a time - do not crowd pan or they will not sear properly. Sear just until nicely browned and caramelized, a minute or two, and turn to sear other side. They will release from the pan easily once they�re ready, and should still be soft in the middle, as they will continue to cook off the heat. Set aside and keep warm.
• Taste the sauce and adjust salt if necessary. Whisk in the crème fraiche off the heat until smooth, then spoon a little of the sauce into the serving dishes. Top with scallops and garnish with fresh chives.