Seared Scallops

This juicy Seared Scallops recipe with Japanese garlic butter soy sauce is an easy and tasty seafood appetizer. Make this wonderfully versatile sea scallops dish the shining star of your simple summer BBQ or elegant dinner party.

Seared Scallops are easy and quick to prepare and they look beautiful when you present them delicately on a plate. These elegant Pan Seared Scallops with Garlic Butter Soy Sauce can be an appetizer, main dish, or one of your side dishes. Paired with a fun white wine, you have a match made in heaven. Read on below to find suggested rose and white wines to serve with pan seared scallops.

Three Delicious Japanese Sauces for Seared Scallops

There are so many options with seared scallops from the cooking method, to the scallop sauce, to the wine served alongside this wonderful seafood dish. My seared scallop recipe is very detailed, including instructions to

Seared Scallops with Wine

During the warm months, we enjoy drinking rose and fun white wines in the afternoon while watching the kids play in the backyard. Tower 15’s Sauvignon Blanc and Rose are perfect for these relaxing occasions.

The Sauvignon Blanc is Tower 15’s first release and it is simply fabulous! The texture is very creamy and easy on the palate. It’s is a very fruity wine, reminding me of fresh peach juice with a hint of tartness and spice. We have paired this wine with three styles of seared scallops and they all worked very well together. Beside the Sauvignon Blanc, we shared the “Sunset Rose” a few days ago with a group of friends at a Chinese restaurant and everyone enjoyed it. The crisp chilled Rose filled with summer fruit flavors complemented the salty Chinese food. If you are looking to bring a fun bottle of wine to a party in the summer, I would recommend the Rose for an afternoon BBQ and the Sauvignon Blanc for a sit down dinner in the backyard.

Please note: We received no compensation for this review. We received Tower 15’s 2012 Sauvignon Blanc and Sunset Rose from Jarvis Communications free of charge to use in exchange for an honest review.

Similar Recipes:

• Sautéed Abalone
• Japanese Sake-Steamed Clams

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Seared Scallops

4.46 from 11 votes

This juicy Seared Scallops recipe with Japanese garlic butter soy sauce is an easy and tasty seafood appetizer. Make this wonderfully versatile sea scallops dish the shining star of your simple summer BBQ or elegant dinner party.

Print Pin

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Brining Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb sea scallops (I used giant U8 scallops for 8 pieces per pound)
• ▢ Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 3 Tbsp clarified butter (see my tutorial for how to make it)

For Brining (recommended)

• ▢ ½ cup water (boiling)
• ▢ ¼ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ▢ 2 cups water (cold)

For the Sauce

• ▢ 1–1½ Tbsp salted butter
• ▢ 1 clove garlic (2 tsp, minced)
• ▢ ¼ cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
• ▢ 1 tsp soy sauce

For the Garnish

• ▢ ¼ cup yuzu-flavored tobiko (flying fish roe) (you can find it at a Japanese market; or use regular tobiko)
• ▢ chives (finely chopped; or use parsley; I garnished with the Japanese herb kinome, the young leaf of prickly ash)

Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.

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Instructions

 

Before You Start

• If you don‘t have clarified butter, make it now; see my tutorial to learn how to make it at home. Clarified butter does not burn as easily as regular butter, so it’s the best choice for searing scallops beautifully.
  

To Brine the Scallops

• In a large bowl, combine ½ cup water (boiling) and ¼ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Stir to dissolve the salt. Then, add 2 cups water (cold). Tip: We brine scallops to add flavor and remove the chemical taste.
  
• Add 1 lb sea scallops to the brine and let it stand for 10 minutes (no longer, or the scallops will become too salty). Drain the scallops.
  
• Rinse under cold water and gently pat dry with the paper towels. Sprinkle the scallops lightly with Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  

To Sear the Scallops

• To create a more beautiful caramelized exterior, use a large carbon steel or stainless steel frying pan rather than a nonstick pan for this step. In the pan, heat 3 Tbsp clarified butter over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. (If you use regular butter instead, use medium heat to melt the butter.) Add the scallops in a single layer, leaving enough space between each scallop. If necessary, cook in 2 pans or in 2 batches. To prevent oil splatter, you can use an oil splatter guard.
  
• Cook without moving the scallops until the bottom is nicely browned and the scallops release on their own, about 3 to 3½ minutes. Turn each scallop gently and put it in a different part of the pan where the surface is hotter to give the best sear. Cook the other side for another 3 to 3½ minutes.
  
• Transfer the scallops to a wire rack to drain the excess oil while you prepare the sauce.
  

To Make the Sauce

• For the pan sauce, heat 1–1½ Tbsp salted butter to the same large frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 clove garlic (minced) and sauté until fragrant. Add ¼ cup dry white wine, stirring constantly, and cook about 3 minutes, until the alcohol is evaporated and the sauce becomes thick.
  
• Lastly, add 1 tsp soy sauce and mix it all together. Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the pan sauce over the scallops or serve in a separate bowl. Garnish with ¼ cup yuzu-flavored tobiko (flying fish roe) and chopped chives.
  

Notes

The method for preparing and cooking scallops is from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home.

Nutrition

Calories: 175 kcal · Carbohydrates: 4 g · Protein: 14 g · Fat: 10 g · Saturated Fat: 6 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 63 mg · Sodium: 334 mg · Potassium: 248 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 1 g · Vitamin A: 76 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 19 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: scallop

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