Sea Scallops with Saffron Cream Sauce
A top-tier white tablecloth restaurant menu item that is amazingly easy to make.
Unless you are lucky enough to live close to a source, almost without exception if you see sea scallops in your grocer’s seafood display case, they will have been previously frozen. So, do yourself a favor: cut out the middle man and just buy frozen sea scallops. Today’s methodology of processing and flash freezing seafood before it ever leaves the dock, indeed sometimes actually done at sea, ensures you’ll be getting as good a product as you can get without buying from an ocean pier fish monger.
Be sure you either see the word “sea” on the package, or see the notation of U-10, which means under-ten-per-pound. This assures you’re getting jumbo scallops.
This recipe requires a spice that arguably is the most expensive one of all: saffron. Saffron is the stigma from the saffron crocus flower and can only be cultivated by hand. It’s been in use as a seasoning, a fragrance, a dye and a medicine since 1,500 BC. It is sold as whole stigmas, which appear as reddish yellow threads, or as powder, which are the leftovers from processing the stigmas, so it is the same material just in a different form. Go for the latter, which is less expensive and bear in mind, you literally only need a pinch. This is some powerful stuff!
This dish is best accompanied by rice or, try it with the Kitchen Tapestry recipe for Rice Pilaf.
Sea Scallops with Saffron Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 jumbo sea scallops
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp shallots, finely minced
- 1/4 tsp garlic, finely minced
- 3 tbsp dry white wine
- 3 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 pinch saffron powder
Instructions
- In a small skillet over medium high heat, melt one tablespoon of the butter and add the olive oil. Heat until shimmering.
- Carefully place the scallops into the oil and cook 4 minutes on each side until slightly caramelized. Remove the scallops to a warm plate and cover with aluminum foil.
- Toss the shallots and garlic in the pan and saute them for 4-5 minutes until they begin to caramelize.
- Removing the pan from the heat, pour in the wine and de-glaze the pan by rubbing the bottom of the skillet with a spatula while the wine bubbles away.
- Return the skillet to the heat and constantly shake the pan over the heat while the wine reduces to just a tablespoon, then add the cream.
- Continue to shake the pan, allowing the cream to reduce by half. Continuing to shake the pan over the heat, add the pinch of saffron and the remaining tablespoon of butter. When the butter has melted, the sauce is ready.
- Move your scallops to serving plates, spoon the saffron cream sauce over them and serve.
Notes
- If you're buying your scallops fresh, make sure they have been properly handled. If they have not been properly purged before being prepared for market, they'll be gritty from sand still in the mollusk's digestive track.
- Frozen scallops will have undergone this process, so no need to worry in this case.
- Frozen scallops are thawed just like frozen shrimp: in a colander under cold running water for 20-30 minutes; turning frequently.
- Scallops generally and specifically with this Saffron Cream Sauce, are very rich and as such, 3 Jumbo Scallops is considered an entrée portion; but adjust the recipe up or down to your liking.
