4 Easy Ways To Cook Scallops

Staying at home calls for more home-cooked meals. If you’re running out of ideas, we are here to give you more!

So why don’t you try cooking scallops? The scallop is a shellfish that provides fantastic benefits to your body. It’s highly nutritious as it is a rich source of selenium, zinc, and copper. Selenium helps improve the immune system and helps in proper thyroid function.

It can also aid in your weight loss since scallops are low in calories but high in protein. Plus, it contains vitamin B12 and zinc that are needed by your brain and nervous system.

See? Aside from being delicious, this bounty of the sea gives you a lot of health benefits. Now, how to cook it?

Pan-fried scallops

This recipe only takes 4-5 minutes to prepare

• Preheat your pan over high temperature and add one teaspoon of oil.
• Dry your scallops with kitchen paper and season it well.
• Place the scallops on the pan facing down for 2-3 minutes. This will be enough time for it to turn golden brown. Just leave it that way and don’t move it around to make sure it’s properly cooked.
• Turn the scallop and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
• Add butter to the pan and baste the scallops.
  Remove it from the pan and serve immediately. It tastes better when hot.

Garlic-lemon scallops

The name is enough to make your mouth water! For this recipe, you will need ¾ cup butter, 3 tbsp garlic (minced), 2 pounds large sea scallops, one teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, and 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice.

• Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat.
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
• Add the scallops and cook for several minutes on one side. Then turn the scallops to the other side.
• Continue cooking until the scallops look firm and opaque.
• Remove the scallops from the skillet.
• Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to the butter.
• Pour the sauce to the scallops and serve.

Lemon-butter Scallops

If you don’t want the garlic in the equation, then you can try this recipe. You will need the following: 1 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 pound scallops and salt and pepper to taste.

For the sauce, you will need another 2 tbsp of unsalted butter, two cloves minced garlic, one lemon, salt and pepper, and 2 tbsp of chopped fresh parsley leaves.

• Melt the 1 tbsp butter in the skillet over medium heat.
• Remove the small side muscle of the scallop.
• Rinse this with cold water and pat it dry.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add the scallops to the skillet in batches. Please do this in a single layer and flip it once it turns golden brown.
• Set aside and keep warm.
• Now for the lemon butter sauce, melt the 2 tbsp butter then add the garlic. Stir it frequently for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the lemon juice.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately.

Creamy garlic scallops

Now let us add some creaminess to those scallops!

You will need the following for this recipe:

• Unsalted butter
• Minced garlic
• White wine
• Lemon juice
• Heavy cream or evaporated milk

Here is how you can prepare it:

• Heat oil in the skillet until it is sizzling. The first scallops should sizzle as soon it hits the oil. This will be your gauge that the oil is hot enough.
• Cook the scallops in batches. They should be 1 inch apart, so it is best to use a large pan to avoid overcrowding.
• Sear them for 2-3 minutes without moving them.

Now for the sauce:

• Melt butter in the same pan you used in cooking the scallops.
• Add your minced garlic.
• Pour your white wine and wait until it reduces to half.
• Add heavy cream or evaporated milk.
• Simmer and then add the lemon juice then add the scallops back.
• Serve immediately.