seared scallops with herb butter pan sauce

By barbell

Ingredients

• for the scallops
• 1 lb dry large sea scallops
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. evoo
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• for the sauce
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 2 tbsp finely diced shallot- 1 medium shallot
• 1/4 cup dry white vermouth or white wine
• 1/4 tsp. finely chopped mixed herbs, such as flat leaf parsley and chives
• 1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2-3 lemon wedges for serving

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

remove the tough abductor muscle from the side of each scallop- some scallops are sold with the muscle already removed
if you feel any grit on the scallops rinse them under cold water. pat the scallops dry with paper towels; surface moisture impedes the browning.
heat a 10-12 inch non stick skillet over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes. add the oil and biutter and heat until quite hot. pat the scallops dry once more and put the in the pan in a single uncrowded layer. season with salt and pepper and let sear undisturbed until one side is browned and crisp, 2-4 minutes. using tongs, turn the scallops and sear until the second side is well browned and the scallops are almost firm to the touch, 2-4 minutes. take the pan off the heat, transfer the scallops to a plate and let them sit in a warm spot. let the pan cool for a minute before you make the suace
return the pan to medium heat. add a piece of the butter-1/2 tsp and the shallots and simmer until the shallots begin to soften about 1 minuites. add the vermouth or wine and simmer until reduced by half about 1-2 minutes. add the herbs and lemon zest. reduce the heat to low, add the remaining butter and whisk constantly until the butter melts into the sauce. return the scallops and any accumulated juices to the pan. gently ropll the scallops in the sauce to wrm them through. test for salt and pepper and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over the scallops.