Sauteed Scallops with Champagne Butter

Sea scallops are a perfect date night dinner. They’re fast, easy, and extremely impressive.

They’re also on the pricey side.

This makes them an excellent choice for a starter course.

Sea Scallops

Sea scallops (the big ones) are sometimes sized like shrimp at a number per pound. You might see it as either 20/30, meaning there are 20-30 in a pound or U/10 meaning there are 10 or under in a pound.

photo credit to https://www.farm-2-market.com/ seafood market

Bay Scallops

Bay scallops are the little bitty ones. They run about 70-120 per pound. While they are actually sweeter and more delicate, they are so tiny that they are not well suited to searing. They are great, however, in a quick sauté or ceviche.

photo credit to https://www.farm-2-market.com/ seafood market

Scallop Portions

To figure how many sea scallops you want per serving, a full entrée serving would be about 4 ounces which would be about 6 – 20/30 or 3 – U/10 size.

Although in my experience, 4 ounces of anything doesn’t make a husband serving.

Regardless, for a starter you could easily do a half size portion so just a couple large scallops per person. This makes it more reasonably priced since they run about $20 per pound.

But so does anything good these days amiright?!

Buying Scallops

The most important thing with scallops, just like shrimp, is that you want them UNTREATED. Scallops are often treated with a phosphate solution to make them whiter and absorb more liquid. Not only will you pay more money for added moisture, but it has a crappy flavor and makes them nearly impossible to sear. Only buy scallops labeled ‘dry’ or ‘chemical free’.

Scallops naturally range from white to pinkish. This does not affect the flavor. The most important thing is to pick scallops that are the exact same size so that they will cook evenly.

Sauteed Scallops with Champagne Butter

The sweet flavor of the scallops is perfectly balanced by this rich champagne butter sauce and the grapefruit adds a beautiful hit of acid to balance the whole dish.

And as usual with my recipes, you’ll have ¾ of a bottle of champagne left for you to enjoy.

You earned it cooking such a fab dish!

Sauteed Scallops with Champagne Butter

The cooking time will completely depend on the size of your scallops. The larger they are, the better you will be able to brown them without over cooking.

You want sea scallops not bay scallops which are tiny. Scallops vary in color from white to ivory to light pink. The most important thing is that they are the same size so they cook evenly.

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Prep Time 2 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 12 mins

Course Appetizer

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

Sauce

• 3/4 cup champagne
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
• 1 pinch salt

• 1 whole grapefruit, supremed and diced

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 6-8 large sea scallops
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

 

• In a very small saucepan, simmer champagne and shallot until reduced to 2 tablespoons, this will take less than five minutes. Off heat stir in salt and butter, cover and set aside.
• Heat oil in a 10 inch sauté pan over high heat until almost smoking.
• Pat scallops very dry. Sprinkle with salt and add to pan.
• Cook without disturbing for two to three minutes until very golden brown.
  
• Add butter to pan, and swirl pan to distribute butter around scallops.
  
• Turn scallops over and cook until just opaque about 1-2 minutes. This will depend on the size.
  
• Spoon champagne butter on the plate, top with scallops and scatter grapefruit over.

Notes

To supreme grapefruit (or any citrus) cut off the top and bottom using a sharp paring knife. Then remove the rind and white pith off the sides but cutting from the top down, following the curve of the fruit.

 When you have the whole fruit with no white pith left on it, you’ll see the membranes or white separating the fruit sections. Holding the fruit in your hand carefully cut into the fruit between the membranes to slice out and remove each perfect section. Click here for a visual.