Holy Moly, we felt like were having dinner in a Michelin starred restaurant when I served these scallops in lemon caper sauce. Really they were that delicious! If I can do it you can do it. Don’t hesitate to make these scallops in lemon caper sauce and impress your family and friends too!
When I visit my local farmers market and find fresh scallops at the fishmonger I always splurge and bring some home. When buying from my local fish guy I am assured that the scallops are “dry” not “wet”. Wet scallops have been soaked in a preservative solution which prevents them from browning and also gives an off flavor. Yuck! Dry scallops have more of a beige color not pure white which is how “wet” ones appear. Always buy dry scallops if possible!
Rich in flavor, yet healthy and well worth the money spent. There are a few key points to note before you cook your scallops. Your skillet should be HOT. This is why I opt for avocado oil as it has a smoke point of around 500*. Be certain after rinsing the scallops to dry them with a paper towel or they will not brown and develop that beautiful caramel color in your skillet. Don’t over-crowd them while cooking and don’t flip too soon.
I like to serve these scallops with the lemon caper sauce over a bit of al dente pasta with a colorful salad on the side. It’s the perfect meal in my eyes. Look at that beautiful salad full of orange (my favorite color) bells , tomatoes, avocado, banana peppers, black olives, scallions and crumbled feta all tossed in a homemade herb vinaigrette.
To make an herb vinaigrette simply mix a bit of olive oil with champagne vinegar and toss in your favorite dried herbs. Basil, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, oregano. Any combination will produce a delicious dressing. Bon Appetit!
- Avocado oil
- Butter
- Sea salt
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 Tablespoon Capers
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup veggie or chicken broth (no sodium)
- 1/2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Rinse scallops and dry with a paper towel.
- Sprinkle scallops with sea salt.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a cast iron skillet until hot – almost but not smoking.
- Add scallops and saute about 2 1/2 minutes or until browned.
- Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan and flip scallops.
- Saute scallops another 2- 2/12 minutes – depending on size of scallop, until browned.
- Remove scallops to a plate and add garlic and wine to skillet.
- Reduce sauce by 1/2 then add zest, lemon juice, broth and capers.
- Reduce by 1/2 again then whisk in Dijon, blending well.
- Add scallops back to skillet until warm.
- Serve over pasta with sauce and a few turns of fresh ground black pepper..
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