This guide will teach you how to cook scallops the easy way!
Today we’re talking about how to cook scallops in partnership with DeLallo Food’s “How To Month”!
Scallops are incredibly easy to prepare but they tend to get a bad wrap for being “difficult” to cook without becoming dry or sticking to the pan unless you use a nonstick pan.
Well, obviously there’s no nonstick pans here, just good ole cast iron which is the perfect vessel for cooking scallops since it heats evenly and sears perfectly.
If you’ve read a few of my past posts you may already know I was once a very, very picky eater. For real – had I started a recipe website 5 or 6 years ago it would be 101 ways to cook a chicken breast on a George Foreman grill dot com. Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, does it?
Anyway, after I met my wife she pushed me to become a more adventurous eater, and after I had my first bite of good seafood I was hooked. Up until this point, an occasional piece of grilled tilapia or a Long John Silver’s drive-thru meal was the extent of my experiences with seafood. It was as though a whole new world had opened up for me… salmon, shrimp, even sushi were all foods I was experiencing for the first time as a twenty-something.
The first time I had a good sea scallop my world was completely rocked. It was in South Carolina the evening of the day I proposed to Lauren, and the scallop was the second best thing that happened to me that day, but had it been any other day it would have easily been the best. Since then I have never really looked back.
Let’s get to it!
TIPS FOR HOW TO COOK SCALLOPS:
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Source DRY scallops – In the seafood market there are two types of sea scallops, dry and wet. Wet scallops are soaked in a solution of phosphates for the sole purpose of adding water weight. That water will evaporate when cooking which leaves the scallops dry, chewy, and less flavorful. Scallops should taste briny, just like the sea they came out of. If your fish market doesn’t know (which it should!) if their scallops are dry or wet a simple way to tell is the color. Wet scallops typically appear bright white whereas dry scallops have an orange or red hue.
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Cook on day 1 or 2 – Don’t store scallops for very long after purchasing as they will dry out, It’s best to cook them the day you buy them or the very next.
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Remove the tendons – This sounds harder than it is, all you need to do is peel away the small, rough-textured crescent-shaped tendon and discard.
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Cook them last – As part of a meal, scallops should always be cooked last since they take a very short amount of time. Cook and plate your sides so once they are cooked you’re ready to eat.
That’s it, pretty simple!
Making scallops for the first time? Be sure to tag @castiron_keto and @Delallofoods on Instagram with a photo of your masterpiece!
Also, be sure to check out the rest of their “How To” guides like How to Cook Asparagus!
How to Cook Scallops
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 lbs dry sea scallops
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Place the scallops on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and allow to sit and dry at room temperature for 10 minutes. Blot the tops with a paper towel to remove excess moisture..
- Season the scallops generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat just until smoking. Add scallops in a single layer and sear 1 ½ – 2 minutes until a golden brown crust forms.
- Flip and sear another minute. Add in the butter and lemon slices, using a spoon to coat the scallops with the sauce. Serve immediately.
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