Sea Scallops

We had some left over Risotto and decided to use it as the base for making Caramelized Sea Scallops. Tom and Scott joined us for dinner. This is a good recipe although we didn’t brine the scallops.

We completed the dinner with Peach Pie from McCall’s Meatand Fish (and bakery).

It was another warm night, perfect to eat outside on the deck.

Caramelized Sea Scallops

Ad-Hoc

Thomas Keller

2      cups kosher salt, plus more to taste

2      cups hot water

8      cups cold water

12    U7 sea scallops (about 1-1/2 pounds; see headnote), preferably dry-packed, tough side muscle removed from each one

About 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) Clarified Butter

½     le mon (optional)

I always buy big scallops, graded U7, meaning there are 7 of this size in a pound, and for this dish, we brine them to season them all the way through. Scallops are great with sweet, earthy, or salty things, such as the Braised Pork Belly or Melted Leek Rounds.

Line a small baking sheet with paper towels Combine the 2 cups salt with the hot water in a large bowl, stirring to dissolve the salt. Add the cold water.

Add the scallops to the brine and let stand for 10 minutes (no longer, or the scallops may become too salty).

Drain the scallops, rinse under cold water, and arrange in a single layer on the paper towels.

Heat the clarified butter in a large stainless steel frying pan over medium-high heat until it ripples and begins to smoke. (Although you may be tempted to use a nonstick pan, a stainless steel pan will produce a more beautiful caramelized exterior.) Sprinkle the scallops lightly with salt and add them to the pan, without crowding. (If necessary, cook the scallops in two pans or in 2 batches; if they touch, they will steam rather than caramelize.) Cook, without moving the scallops, until the bottoms are a rich golden brown, 3 to 3-1/2 minutes. Turn the scallops and caramelize the second side.