Seared Scallops with Watercress & Asparagus August 11, 2020
Looking for inspiration on how to cook scallops? Here we pair them with a warm spring salad and a quick brown butter pan sauce—make this for someone you’re trying to impress, or quarter the recipe and treat yourself to a restaurant-quality weeknight feast. Check out the original recipe here.
INGREDIENTS
- 16 scallops
- Juice of 1 small lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve
- Splash of champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tbs finely chopped
- 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
- 12 asparagus spears, trimmed
- 1 bunch watercress
- Large handful sugar snap peas, cut into 1cm pieces (about 1 cup)
- 55g unsalted butter
METHOD
- Dry scallops well with paper towel, then generously season.
- Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, eschalot, and 1 tbs oil in a large bowl.
- Using a peeler, shave 4 of the asparagus spears into strips. Add to the bowl with the watercress. Cut the remaining 8 asparagus spears into 1 cm pieces and set aside.
- Heat 1 tbs oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar snap peas and asparagus pieces, season, and cook for 1-2 minutes until just cooked. Add to the bowl with the watercress and toss to combine.
- Return pan to medium-high heat with remaining 2 tbs oil. Add the scallops, and cook (on one side only) for 3-5 minutes until very crispy and almost cooked through. Turn scallops, reduce the heat to low and add the butter (the butter will immediately sizzle and start to turn brown). Turn off the heat (the residual heat will finish cooking the scallops).
- Divide the salad among four plates, top with seared scallops and drizzle over brown butter. Serve with lemon wedges on the side, if desired.
