I love Scallops. I might actually love them a little too much! They are fast, delicious, and perfect for hors d’oeuvres at a dinner party. They’re always delectable after a quick toss in the pan with garlic and white wine, they’re incredible wrapped in bacon, and they’re absolutely heavenly in a fresh creamy béarnaise sauce. A new favourite of mine: Scallops with Brown Butter & Capers!

Similar to a great cut of steak, when it comes to scallops, it’s all about the sear! It’s important to have a piping hot pan and a good quality oil for best results.

I wrote an article on scallops last fall. Not everyone has the luxury of picking up scallops fresh from the docks or the fish trucks (myself included, now that I have left Nova Scotia) – so it’s important to know how to pick quality at the supermarket. If you aren’t too familiar with scallops and you would like to take a look, you can find that article HERE.

This recipe takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. The combination of fresh lemon juice, nutty browned butter, and briny capers is delicious. I have to give a shout-out to my Mother-in-law and my little Sister for both making sure that I have a healthy supply of Pete Luckett’s “Tidal Bay” white wine whenever I decide to make these! Tidal Bay is white wine unique to Nova Scotia, and it is the PERFECT pairing for Seafood.

Scallops With Browned Butter & Capers

Pair with a fresh, acidic white wine – and enjoy with Friends!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 8 Jumbo Scallops
• 1 Lemon
• 2 TBSP Butter
• 1.5 TSP Capers
• 2 TSP Olive Oil Extra Virgin
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Fresh Cracked Peppercorn To Taste

Method

 

1. Peel the side muscle off of the scallops, and discard.
2. Pat your scallops dry with a paper towel, and season generously with kosher salt and freshly cracked peppercorn.
3. Pour 2 tablespoons of high quality olive oil into a pan over medium-high heat. Wait until you see a small amount of smoke.
4. Place Scallops down in your pan. Since you are using Jumbo Scallops, sear for 3-4 minutes (Smaller scallops would require significantly less time). While searing, do not touch or move the scallops.
5. Carefully flip your scallop, and sear the other side for 1.5 minutes. If your scallop does not lift with ease, let it sear an additional 30 seconds and flip again.
6. Remove scallops from the pan. Carefully pour out your olive oil and any burnt material in the pan. Add butter to your hot, clean pan.
7. Stir butter as it bubbles and froths. Alternate between picking your pan up and letting it rest on the burner. Butter can go from browned to burnt in about 1 second, so it's best to be careful!
8. Once butter is browned, stir in capers and lemon juice. Whisk quickly.
9. Smother your scallops in the sauce. Serve with a great glass of wine.
10. Enjoy!

Notes

A quick note on kosher salt and freshly cracked peppercorn. 

A lot of people have different preferences when it comes to salt. I love sea salt, and I love kosher salt! I personally prefer the coarser grain, as I find it adds a ton of flavour. The same goes for freshly ground peppercorn.

However, there’s nothing wrong with using table salt or pre-ground pepper. The pepper may have slightly-less flavour, but it all comes down to preferences. Use what you have on hand. 

ENJOY!