Not the greatest photo, but I was in a rush to serve them!

Making perfect scallops is easier than you think. I’ve watched chefs make them on so many cooking shows that if I can’t make them by now, well, something’s wrong. This easy scallops recipe makes a great dinner for company or just make it for yourself!

With thanks to my dear friend Greg, who came up with it and always inspires my cooking. And by the way, my patio dinner guests response to this dish was “I love your food!” No greater praise.

Easy Scallops Recipe

Sea scallops. They’re  the larger ones.  Make 5 per person for a main course and 3 per person for an appetizer. Be sure to pat them dry before cooking!

Creme fraiche. No, you don’t have to do the whole thing from scratch. A quick “creme fraiche” you can make on the fly that’s just as good is Greek yogurt with some half and half stirred in till it’s a creamy consistency for a topping.

Caviar. I haven’t bought caviar in decades but I wanted to make this dinner special. So I bought it. Yes, you can freeze leftover in the container. Just put cling wrap under the cap and screw it on tight, then freeze. You can also top with soy pearls, faux caviar made of couscous, a few cooked fresh peas, a curl of carrot or anything else.

Potato rounds. You can also use a bed of couscous, potato pancakes or something else. Even a cucumber!

1-Cut potatoes into about quarter inch rounds and cook until tender in extra virgin olive or a high smoke point oil over medium heat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Once I made the mistake of cutting them early and putting them in the fridge in a bowl of water. It took forever to cook. So cut just before you cook. I’ve also made the mistake of salting too much. They do get golden brown so be careful not to cook too fast or the outside will brown long before the inside cooks. If cut too thin they can get crispy.

Use a splatter screen!  You can also bake them, which I’ll do next time. Set them aside and reheat when the rest of your meal is ready.

2-Make creme fraiche by stirring a bit of half and half into Greek yogurt. Consistency should be like a thick whipping cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3-Heat your oil in the skillet until very hot and drop your scallops in after you have patted them dry. They should not touch. They need less than 2 minutes per side to cook perfectly.  When you turn them, drop in a pat of butter for flavor. If you add it too early, the butter can burn so do it only as you turn them. They. might need less time than 2 minutes after the turn, eyeball them.

4-Plate them. Place reheated potato rounds on the plate. Place a scallop on each. Top with a dollop of “creme fraiche” and then a bit of caviar or other topping.

I served them with roasted asparagus and carrots I’d cut lengthwise. I pre-steam these, then roast, because I like them more well-done. I also served a yummy summer salad, recipe found here.

Bon appetit!
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