Seared scallops with a golden crust and soft, melt-in-the-mouth interior, nestled in a creamy garlic white wine sauce. We've also got a touch of heat and a little tangy hit of capers.

This scallops recipe makes a fantastic date-night dinner!

Free printable recipe is available on our site: https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/crea...

Ingredients:
400 g (14oz) extra large king scallops this is about 10-12 large scallops (see notes if buying frozen)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1.5 tbsp avocado oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves minced garlic
¼ tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)
80 ml (⅓ cup) white wine (just enough to deglaze the pan)
120 ml (½ cup) double (heavy) cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp capers in brine, drained
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

To serve:
lemon wedges
black pepper

Instructions:
1. Take the scallops out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you want to cook them.

2. Line a tray with two layers of kitchen roll. Place the scallops on the lined tray and pat the tops of the scallops with more kitchen roll.

3. Place a fresh layer of kitchen roll on top of the scallops and press down lightly again. Leave for 10 minutes so the kitchen roll can soak up excess moisture from the scallops.
Warm a plate up with some hot water, or place in a very low oven.

4. Remove the kitchen roll from the scallops (it should peel off, almost sticking to the scallops - so you know they're nice and dry). Season the scallops on both sides with the salt and pepper.

5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat.

6. Once the oil is shimmering hot, add the scallops to the pan, making sure there's space between each one.

7. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until dark golden brown, then turn over. The scallops should pull away from the pan when they're ready to turn.

8. Add the butter to the pan and cook for a further 60 - 90 seconds, spooning the butter over the scallops as it melts and bubbles. The scallops should be lightly browned on the second side and cooked through (you can check one by cutting through it - it should be opaque throughout).

9. Turn the heat down to medium and remove the scallops from the pan. Place on the warm plate.
Add the garlic and chilli flakes to the pan and cook for 30 seconds, constantly stirring, then add the white wine.

10. Let the wine bubble for 1-2 minutes, until reduced by half.

11. Stir in the cream, lemon juice and capers and heat through for a further minute.

12. Stir the parsley into the sauce, then add the scallops back into the pan. Heat for 30 seconds or so, then turn off the heat.

13. Serve the scallops with lemon wedges and a sprinkling of black pepper.


Buying scallops
I don't advise buying from regular supermarket (at least in the UK anyway). Even the extra large scallops are often tiny!
Buy from a fishmonger if possible, so you can see them.
You're looking for around 5-6 large scallops per person. 5-6 scallops should be about 200g.

Why do I need to dry the scallops?
Drying them with kitchen paper is key to get that golden crust - especially if you're buying frozen (wet) scallops.
Even buying 'dry' scallops (scallops that aren't treated with a water and preservative solution), I would still pat them down with kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture.

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