I believe that happiness comes from within, and after cooking and enjoying this scallop recipe for lunch, I’m sure you’ll agree. Food does not have to be heavy in order for you to feel satisfied. You will experience the flavor duo of sourness in the sauce, and muscat in the first flush Darjeeling tea.
Sauce Ingredients
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped shallots
1/4 teaspoon salt
30 ounce (or 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
Garnish Ingredients
2 medium shallot bulbs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For searing scallops
5 medium scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Start with the sauce, because you can leave it on low heat while you prepare the scallops. Whisk lemon juice, chopped shallots, and salt into a hot pan and reduce it to half by letting it simmer for about 3 minutes on medium heat. Then start adding butter, but not all at once. Adding butter piece by piece and letting it melt before adding another one is important. You can expect the sauce to thicken using this technique, which is exactly what we want. Don’t stop whisking until the sauce is a thick consistency. Add finely chopped parsley to the pan when you see the sauce is done.
Now it’s time to cook the crispy garnish shallots. So easy. Peel the shallots and slice them using a mandolin. Toss sliced shallots into the all-purpose flour. Bring vegetable oil to 330°F for frying. Add shallots to the hot oil and fry until golden. Place crispy shallots on paper towels and add kosher salt. The garnish is ready.
I recommend using a cast iron pan to fry the scallops because these pans retain the heat so well. If you don’t have one, use a non-stick frying pan. Dry the scallops with a paper towel and sprinkle them with kosher salt. Add olive oil to the pan and wait for it to get hot. Immediately before placing the scallops into the pan, sprinkle them with flour on both sides. Doing so will provide a nice crust, which is what we’re after. The texture of cooked food is as important as its flavor. Sear the scallops for 2 minutes on each side. Then add butter to the pan. Continually baste the scallops with the melted butter and stop when the center reaches 120°F.
Add the sauce to the plate, place the scallops, and top with garnished shallots.
Enjoy it with First Flush Darjeeling tea to complement and balance the acidity and sourness of the sauce.
