Cooking Fresh Sauteed Sea Scallops
Dinner Seafood Dish Enjoyed by Resident Maine Fishermen
Jul 26, 2009
The sea scallop, heralded as the king of scallops, is a fascinating marine creature. This bivalve mollusk can actually swim; it propels itself through the water by rapidly squeezing and contracting the two halves of its shell together. The powerful adductor muscle is the meaty part of the scallop that is commonly eaten in the United States.
Residents of Maine often prepare their native sea scallops without any breading and very minimal seasonings. When you sample this simple and flavor-packed dish, you'll begin to understand why. In this recipe, we've used only a small amount of vegetable oil, capers and fresh herbs to enhance the flavors of fresh sea scallops captured during a diving expedition off the coast of Tremont, Maine. The deep-sea scallop, also known as the giant scallop, is rich, dense and heavy for its size, unlike the tiny, sweet, tender bay scallop.
Fresh deep-sea scallops are generally gathered from the sea from late fall to early spring. When shopping for sea scallops, look for ones that have a sweet smell and moist skin that is colored either pale beige or light pink. Scallops should be stored in the refrigerator and used within a day or two after they're purchased. When cooking this dish, season the scallops with salt and pepper just before cooking. Add the scallops slowly to the skillet, to prevent the pan from cooling off too much.
RECIPE
Sauteed Sea Scallops
Serves 3
Ingredients:
- 12 sea scallops (about 1 pound)
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons drained capers
- 1/4 cup mixed chopped herbs, such as parsley, basil and mint
- 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
Directions:
- Season the scallops on each side with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat just until the oil reaches the smoking point. Add 6 scallops to the pan, and saute until the scallops turn a golden brown color, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the scallops from the skillet to a warm plate. Repeat with the remaining 6 scallops.
- In a second skillet, heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the capers, and cook until they pop open, about 2 minutes. Remove the capers with a slotted spoon to a tray lined with paper towels to drain.
- Place three sea scallops on each of three plates. Garnish each plate with a sprinkling of fried capers, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs and a lemon wedge. Serve immediately.
SOURCES
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