Coquilles Saint-Jacques Sautees a la Provencale
Submitted by kdcrye
Pan-seared scallops Provencal style with garlic, shallots, butter, and fresh parsley. Crisp golden crust outside, tender inside. Ready in 15 minutes from start to plate.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
5 minREADY
15 minThis is how they sear scallops in Provence, and the technique is everything.
Scallops get a squeeze of lemon, a dusting of flour, then hit a screaming hot pan filmed with oil. Four to five minutes of tossing and they develop a gorgeous golden crust while staying tender and moist at the center.
Minced shallots and garlic go in at the end for just a flash, followed by butter and fresh parsley that sizzle into an instant pan sauce.
Serve with crusty French bread as a starter or alongside broiled tomatoes and green beans for a light main course.
Chef Tips
- The oil must be nearly smoking before the scallops touch the pan. This is the single most important step for getting a proper sear
- Never crowd the pan. One layer only, or the scallops will steam instead of brown
- Pat scallops bone dry with paper towels before seasoning. Moisture is the enemy of a crisp crust
- Using frozen scallops? Blanch them in boiling water first to prevent them from releasing excess liquid in the pan
- Dredge in flour at the very last second before sauteing. If the flour sits and absorbs moisture, you lose the crispness
Ingredients
Directions
Dry the scallops in paper towels, then place on a large sheet of waxed paper.
Sprinkle with drops of lemon juice, then with salt and pepper.
The moment before sautéing, dredge with flour and shake in a sieve to dislodge excess flour.
Film the 10 inch, non stick frying pan with a 1/16-inch layer of oil.
When almost smoking, add the scallops.
Toss for 4 to 5 minutes until scallops are lightly browned.
Then toss for a moment with the shallots or scallions, and garlic; finally toss with the butter and parsley and serve.
Suggested accompaniments: If the scallops are a first course, accompany with French bread.
For a main course, accompany with broiled tomatoes and green beans.
Notes: Sauteed scallops should be crisp light brown outside and moistly tender inside.
Keys to success are: have your sautéing oil very hot before the scallops go in, and have no more than one layer of scallops in the pan.
Otherwise the scallops will steam, exude moisture, and will not brown.
You may find, in using frozen scallops, that they will start out nicely, then suddenly release juices in the pan; to avoid this, blanch them before cooking by dropping them in a large pan of rapidly boiling water and bringing them quickly back to the boil
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