This isn’t really so much a recipe as it is a technique blog post. If any of you have ever watched Chef Gordon Ramsay, you know you had better not either overcook the scallops or undercook or under season the scallops. It’s so easy to overcook them. 30 seconds too long and you have a rubbery bite vs. a tender and juicy one. Below, I’ll let you see how I cook them and what I season with. They are so yummy when done right.
What you’ll need:
- 6-8 scallops
- 1 T olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cajun seasoning
- 1 sprig of tarragon
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 T of butter
- 1/2 lemon
Step by step:
Warm a non stick skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. This is probably THE most important so you get a good sear on the scallops. While that’s heating up, pat your scallops dry with a paper towel.
Season your scallops with salt right before you throw them in the pan.
Add your scallops one by one in a circle and remember which one you started with. After a 2 minute sear, they should be ready to flip. Do so starting with the first scallop you placed in the pan. Sear for another 2 minutes.
Now it’s time to add the good stuff and baste for a minute or two. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Smash your garlic cloves and add Butter, garlic cloves, tarragon and 1/2 cup of white wine. The reason we do this after the sear is because you’d boil the scallop, vs sear it in the beginning. Get a large spoon and baste for a minute, maybe two minutes if you have more scallops in the pan or they are larger, but no more than that or you will over cook them.
Move the scallops to the top of the pan and tilt the pan towards you so the liquid is deep enough to grab a spoon full. Spoon the mixture over the scallops for a minute and then remove the scallops from the heat. Pour pan drippings over the scallops and serve.
