Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
For the scallops:
- 1 1/2 pounds large sea scallops, tendons removed and patted very dry
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
For the sauce:
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Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, swirling constantly, until the butter turns a dark golden brown color and has a nutty aroma, about 4 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn. Add the shallot and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the parsley, thyme, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the saucepan with a lid to keep warm.
For the scallops:
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Sprinkle the dry scallops with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of the scallops in a single layer, flat side down, and cook, without moving, until well browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
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Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the skillet. Using tongs, carefully flip the scallops and continue to cook until the sides of the scallops are firm and the centers are opaque, 30 to 90 seconds. Remove the scallops to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Wipe out the skillet and repeat cooking with the remaining oil, scallops, and butter. Serve immediately with browned butter sauce.
I had some leftover raw sea scallops on Christmas Eve (today), just as guests were arriving, and wanted to do something with them so I found this recipe…went out to the yard and clipped some fresh lemon thyme, parsley, and came back in and made this for a quick appetizer I didn’t have a shallot, so I just used a quarter of an onion chopped fine – it got RAVE reviews from everyone crowded around the plate!! Thank you!!!
I made this with a few adjustments (as usual) I used a Maggie fish seasonings with garlic n onion powder n black pepper which I also added to the scallops n set aside, then I thinly sliced garlic, fresh parsley n about 3 scallions/green onions. I seared the scallops n butter only n removed them n then I sauteed the prior seasonings n a herbed butter with a little reg land o lakes butter then added1/3 of a fresh lemon’s juice n then put the seared scallops n this sauce n served over linguine…it was absolutely delish!! 🙂 u must try!! 🙂
I found some scallops on sale and was looking for a simple sauce. This is it! Thank you!
Can you substitute salted butter for unsalted and eliminate or reduce the added salt?
Yep! Just salt to taste.
Missing seafood tag here.
Carole’s Chatter is collecting scallop dishes today. This is a nice one. I do hope you pop over and link in. This is the link . Cheers
i don’t buy them too often because they tend to be pricey but this is a great recipe, I will definately try it soon.
This recipe sounds delightful. I happen to have some scallops in the freezer that I would love to cook but wonder if frozen scallops would not work well for this recipe. Advise?
Thawed frozen scallops should work fine – just make sure you pat them dry really well.
I made these for my family Friday and it was a huge hit! Absolutely delicious!
Yum yum! Thankfully love both chocolates and seafood. So, this scallop is perfect dish for me, especially after a long day at work. Woohoo!
I love scallops too! I am always looking for a great sauce to go with scallops. Yours sounds perfect! Brown butter and lemon? YUM! Try it out soon.
I have never made nor had scallops, but this is the recipe I am going to try!
Mmm, I’m a scallop lover too! I used to be anti-seafood but that has definitely changed among recent years, and now scallops are one of my favorite things EVER. Love this version with brown butter and lemon. Yum! Pinned 🙂
Scallops are the best, but like you, I don’t buy them much because of the price tag. Next time I find a good deal I definitely want to try this – love, love, love brown butter!!
This looks amazing!! I actually had something very similar at a restaurant for lunch yesterday.