Seared Scallops
Dry-packed scallops, a very hot pan, ninety seconds a side. The whole dish is knowing when to stop, and the window is smaller than you want it to be.
- Serves
- 4
- Total
- 20 min
Scallops are expensive and the margin between right and rubbery is about forty-five seconds. That's the entire difficulty.
For me this is a feel dish. I go by the look of the edge and the give when I press one, and I'd be lying if I pretended I use a timer. But feel is repetition, and the numbers below are what the repetition was built on, so start there.
Buy dry-packed
This matters more than anything you'll do in the pan.
Wet-packed scallops are soaked in a phosphate solution that makes them hold water and weigh more. They will not brown, because they're busy releasing liquid into your hot pan, and they taste faintly of soap.
Dry-packed are what you want. They look slightly tan and sticky rather than bright white and glossy, and the fishmonger will tell you if you ask. If the label says "no STPP" or "chemical free", that's the one.
How you know
The outside is deeply golden and the sides are opaque. The middle should still look slightly translucent when you cut one, because it won't be by the time you eat it.
Press one with a finger. It should give, then spring back. If it feels firm, it's already gone.
If it's not right
- Rubbery: overcooked, and it happens fast. Ten seconds matters here.
- No crust: pan wasn't hot enough, scallops were wet, or the pan was crowded.
- Stuck to the pan: you moved them too early. A scallop releases when it's ready.
- Watery in the pan: wet-packed.
Ingredients
Method
-
**Dry them properly.** Paper towels, both faces, and press. Then leave them on a dry towel for ten minutes while the pan heats. Surface water is the enemy and there's always more of it than you think.
-
**Pull the side muscle** if it's still attached, the small rectangular tag on the side. It goes tough.
-
**Pan very hot,** stainless or cast iron, oil just shimmering. Hotter than feels sensible.
-
**In, with space between them,** and don't touch them. 90 seconds.
-
**Flip once.** 60 to 90 seconds on the second side. Butter in for the last 30 seconds and spoon it over.
-
**Out.** They carry on cooking on the plate, so pull them a touch before you think.
-
Salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon.
Goes with
From the journal
- Make the Fish — Fish is one of the things people reserve for restaurants, and it shouldn't be. It's fresher at home, it's faster than almost anything else, and the fishmonger is the best part.
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