Seared Scallops with Brown Butter
Tender scallops seared golden in a screaming-hot skillet, finished with nutty brown butter and a squeeze of lemon. Restaurant-quality in under 15 minutes.
- Total time
- 12 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 198
- Protein
- 22g
Ingredients
- 8 count large sea scallops (dry pack)
- 3 tbsp butter
- ½ count lemon
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme or parsley
- ½ tsp fleur de sel or flake salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Pat scallops dry with paper towels, pressing gently to remove all moisture.
- 2
Heat a 10-inch stainless steel or cast iron skillet over high heat for 2 minutes until it's almost smoking.
- 3
Add 0.5 tbsp oil to the pan, then arrange scallops in a single layer without crowding.
- 4
Sear 90 seconds without moving—until the bottom is golden and edges are opaque.
- 5
Flip once, sear 60 more seconds, then transfer to a plate to rest while you make the sauce.
- 6
Reduce heat to medium, add butter to the pan, and let it foam and turn nutty brown, ~2 minutes.
- 7
Squeeze lemon juice into the brown butter, add herbs and a pinch of fleur de sel, then pour over scallops.
Tools you’ll need
- 10-inch stainless steel or cast iron skillet
- paper towels
- tongs or fish spatula
- small plate
- wooden spoon
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
