Looking for sauce for scallops


 

Paul K

TVWBB Guru
I'm planning a special meal that will involve scallops, asparagus, spring peas (if available), and mushrooms. I'm searching for a sauce that would compliment these ingredients. I'm not sure if I want to go a cream sauce route as there will be another entre served that will involve pasta and a beef or pork protein. So my thoughts are to keep the scallop dish a little on light side. Overall, the request to me is for an Italian theme. Bring on the suggestions!

Thanks,

Paul
 
Paul,

One of my recipes is pasted below. The asuce is superb. Let me know what you think.

Ray


Pan Seared Scallops with Sesame Sauce


12 large sea scallops
2 sliced green onions (white and green sections reserved separately)
2 minced garlic cloves
2 ½ TBS soy sauce
1 TBS rice vinegar
3 tsp sugar
½ tsp cornstarch
1 ½ TBS dark sesame oil
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 TBS EVOO
Freshly ground black pepper

Let scallops come to room temp (about 4-5 minutes) while you mix together white pieces of onion, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and crushed pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Heat EVOO in large skillet on medium heat. Add scallops and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Cook about 3 minutes until scallops brown, turn, add more pepper and brown on the other side (another 2 to 3 minutes). Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Whisk sauce mixture into skillet and cook for 45 seconds to 1 minute until sauce boils and thickens – remove pan from heat and drizzle sauce over scallops.

Garnish scallops with the chopped green onion pieces. Enjoy!

Note – this sauce would be perfect over any fish dish!
 
I tried this red pepper sauce last time I seared up some scallops. Everyone loved it. I had left over that I used on some of my black drum fish cakes. Excellent IMHO. Made some up later and used it on pasta, really like it.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
 
I love roasted red pepper with scallops.

I'd likely do a sauce made from the asparagus stalks (a purée), the tips (plus a bit of the stalks) cooked separately. Easy to make the sauce in advance, the tips take no time to cook and can be done when the scallops are. I'd sear the scallops and would likely plate them atop the sauce with a dot of roasted red purée on each. If available, I'd do pea tendrils rather than peas. If not, tiny baby peas would work fine. (They are one of the very few things I'll buy frozen and would were it necessary.)
 
Ray,

Thanks for the recipe link. I think it would make for a nice presentation.

Kevin,

I'll be cooking in PHX so I'll be a little out of my element. I'll have to see what's available locally.

thanks all!
 
This is a meal by committe, so if for some reason the red pepper sauce gets nixed; what do you think of the following ingredients (amounts to be determined) for a sauce?

deglaze scallop pan w/ white wine
clam juice
lemon juice and zest
garlic
shallot
thyme
basil
butter
capers
dash, just a dash of cream or maybe Dijon mustard
S&P to taste

Paul
 
Mostly it works for me.

Consider adding a little chicken stock to the clam juice. (If you can't due to vegetarian issues, oh well, but it will boost the flavors of the clam juice and the scallops.)

Á la minute pan sauces are normally a breeze to make - when doing smaller orders - but can be more problematic if, say, doing scallops for twenty people. Caution has to be advised so as not to allow the scallops that you're holding after searing overcook from residual heat and lengthy sauce-finishing time. To minimize this, use plenty of sauté pans. The scallops must not be at all crowded in order to sear effectively. Then, when the scallops are seared, the sauce can be made in each pan which will make the process go much more quickly.

When the scallops are seared I'd add a whole-but-crushed clove of garlic to the pan and toss it for several seconds. Next I'd add a little wine to deglaze, deglaze, then immediately add the minced shallot and a little thyme. Immediately next would be a splash of chicken stock and a good dose of filtered clam juice along with well-rinsed capers. When the liquid reduces somewhat I'd add a little lemon juice, a bit of salt and white pepper, and a good sploosh of finely minced parsley (which, because of the capers, I think works better than basil here). Immediately off the heat then a mount with cold unsalted butter. (Have a little beurre manié handy in case it is absolutely necessary (make it with butter and Wondra flour) though I'd try to avoid it if possible - it will depend on the quantities involved). Return the pan to the heat peridiocally, if needed, during the mount, to warm the sauce.

On (one hopes) heated plates, spoon the sauce, add the asparagus and/or peas, top the sauce with the scallops, garnish with finely julienned zest; serve.

Just a thought.
 
P.S. For effective searing, heat your pans first. Then add a high heat oil (I'd prefer grapeseed here). When it is very hot but not smoking (if it smokes remove the pan from the heat briefly), add your scallops, again, very uncrowded, making sure they are patted dry well first. (Like meat, I salt them ahead of time and let them come to room temp. Just enough salt for flavor. Pat dry well with paper towels before searing.)

I assume you know this already: Reduce the heat to med-high a few moments after the scallops go in the pan. Sear the scallops without disturbing till you see the edges at the bottom of the scallop closest to the pan nicely color. They should easily release at this point - if not go a little longer - then flip. At this stage they are about 3/4 cooked so the time after flipping is fairly brief.
 
Good tips, thanks Kevin. I just got into Phoenix and will do a little shopping (food) today. The meal is only for 8 so it will be very manageable.

Paul
 
Ray,

I went with the roasted red pepper sauce link you provided. It came out fantastic. Rave reviews all around. Served the scallops on a bed of grilled asparagus topped with the RRP sauce, seared scallops on top of that with a few sauted Shiitakes (word police at work)over that.

Kevin, made your garlic soup as a starter; also rave reviews. Recipe was demanded by the group.

Thanks for the link!

Paul
 

 

Back
Top