Pan Seared Scallops with a Beurre Blanc

For our New Years Eve I decided to work up a full evening of cooking together resulting in a fantastic seafood feast. With an hour of pre-date prep, and two hours of cooking. And it was worth it.

The menu included:

• Artichokes filled with a crabmeat stuffing a Ravigot sauce
• Grilled lobster served with a lemon/butter/garlic sauce
• A Crispy Fried Oyster Salad

AND…

• Pan Seared Scallops with a Beurre Blanc salsa, topped with a shallot/tomato/fennel salsa

While it was all wonderful and completely delicious, for this post I’m going to focus on the scallops. They absolutely were the star of the show. This recipe was from the New York Times.

While the scallops were simply seasoned (salt & pepper, and I left off the salt), it was all about the salsa and the sauce. If you leave off the fennel fronts…you’ll be OK.

Ingredients

Yield: 4 servings
For the Salsa
• 1large shallot, finely chopped
•¼ cup finely chopped fennel fronds
• 1cup chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1teaspoon red wine vinegar

For the Scallops
• 1pound large dry-processed sea scallops (about 12)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• ¼ cup Crystal hot sauce (I used cholula hot sauce)
• 1/2 stick chilled butter, cut into cubes (Kerrygold!)

Preparation
1. Make the Salsa
1. Step 1
Mix shallot, fennel fronds, cherry tomatoes, olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Make the Scallops
1. Step 1
Pat scallops dry on both sides with a paper towel; they must be extremely dry. Sprinkle one side with kosher salt and a small grind of black pepper.
2. Step 2
Heat oil in a good-quality, nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is very hot and begins to shimmer and release a slight amount of smoke, place scallops in the pan in a single layer and reduce heat to medium. (Depending on the size of the pan, scallops may have to be cooked in two batches.) Let cook undisturbed for approximately 2 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown and caramelize. Flip scallops, cook for another minute and then remove to a warm plate.
3. Step 3
Turn heat back to medium-high and add wine, lemon juice and hot sauce, stirring to remove browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce for a minute or 2, then turn heat to low. Whisk in butter, a tablespoon at a time, until sauce becomes emulsified and glossy. Stir in any juices from the scallops, then remove from heat.
4. Step 4
To serve, spoon sauce onto four individual plates or a platter, place scallops on sauce and top each with a spoonful of salsa.