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
Get creative making your own seared scallop sauce, or simply serve with a squeeze of lemon juice on top. If you decide to make a sauce, I have three recommendations for Japanese favorites:
- Garlic Butter Soy Sauce: It’s a garlic butter sauce with a Japanese twist by adding in soy sauce. Combining butter and soy sauce is always a popular combination in Japan, so I hope you give it a try with these seared scallops.
- Spicy Mayo Sauce: Japanese love seafood with mayo! For this sauce, I spiced up the mayo to add some kick. Spicy mayo is very easy to make; just add Sriracha sauce to the mayonnaise. Find my recipe here.
- Unagi sauce: This thick soy sauce is my children’s favorite because it’s sweet. I used a bottled unagi sauce this time (as you only need a few dollops), but you can make homemade unagi sauce using my recipe here. The sweetness of the sauce adds a nice touch to 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 brine the scallops and to make clarified butter for searing. But the basic cooking time of seared scallops is only 10 minutes, so I encourage you to take a little extra time to make this scallop dish special. I understand if you are in a hurry though, so feel free to omit the ‘optional’ steps in the recipe if needed.
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Seared Scallops
Ingredients
- 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)
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
Nutrition
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