I’ll admit. Sometimes, I have a plan for recipes. And other times, I don’t. This time, I kinda just winged it. I went to my local farmer’s market and they had some delicious (and very expensive) sea scallops. A pound was $20. Yikes. But, they looked so full and sweet that I had to give them a try. Here’s the thing about the farmer’s market and why I love it so much. It’s food – like, real food. There are no preservatives in the food. There’s little to no processed food. It’s food…the way it’s supposed to be. This also means the food doesn’t last long either. So, if you’re going to buy sometime from there, you had better hurry up and cook it.
I was out in my garden. Well, it’s more like a large plot of grass. But, you’ve to see the trees before the forest (pun intended). No, seriously – there will be a garden. Right now, there are young trees…fruit trees…lots of them. I’ve got peach, pear, ranier cherry, clementine, Satsuma oranges, key lime, Meyer lemons, and a few apples too. I mean, it’ll be a full orchard in like 2 more years. But, I was so engrossed in today’s planting and DIY Sunday activities that I forgot I had these beauties in the fridge.
So, I hopped to it. A little sear. A little sauce. And lots of love (and butter) and you’ve got your new favorite seared scallop recipe. Enjoy!
Seared Scallop Scampi
1 pound of large sea scallops, patted dry
1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of good white wine
a pinch of salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
a handful or so of chopped scallions
sliced lemon, to garnish
1..In a cast iron skillet, add the olive oil and let the pan get hot – almost smoking. Add the scallops and sear on both sides until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, add the butter, white wine, salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice, garlic, and scallions. Cook the sauce for 4-5 minutes on high heat until it’s reduced and thick.
3. Add the scallops back into the pan along with sliced lemon. Baste the scallops with some of the sauce and enjoy.
You could totally eat these with crusty white bread, serve over pasta, or with rice. I, however, grabbed a fork and ate them right out of the skillet. Judge me not!
