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Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
656 | Calories |
39g | Fat |
41g | Carbs |
31g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 656 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 39g | 50% |
Saturated Fat 24g | 118% |
Cholesterol 154mg | 51% |
Sodium 1456mg | 63% |
Total Carbohydrate 41g | 15% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
Protein 31g | |
Calcium 143mg | 11% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
As scallops go, Bay Scallops are definitely on the smaller size and more delicate. Unfortunately, this means they can quickly become overcooked and rubbery. This method solves that problem with a fast sear in clarified butter and then flavoring the scallops after they come off the heat with an emulsion of soy sauce, butter, and balsamic vinegar.
Ingredients
- For the Emulsion:
- 2 cups balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- For the Scallops:
- 2 pounds bay scallops
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup Clarified Butter (recipe below)
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Steps to Make It
Prepare the Brown Butter (Emulsion)
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Gather the ingredients.
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Place the vinegar in a medium nonreactive saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.
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Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and reduced to 1⁄2 cup, about 30 minutes.
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Transfer to a small bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature.
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Place the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, and allow it to melt and turn light brown.
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Remove the butter from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
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Gradually whisk the browned butter into the reduced balsamic vinegar.
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Whisk in the soy sauce and season with pepper to taste.
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Reserve the emulsion at room temperature.
Cook the Scallops
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Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season them with the salt and pepper.
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Coat the bottom of 2 large skillets with clarified butter (see recipe to make it below). Place the pans over a medium-high flame and heat until the butter is nearly smoking.
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Divide the scallops between the pans; do not shake the pans or move the scallops around. Immediately reduce the heat to medium and add a little more clarified butter to each pan.
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Cook the scallops until they are deeply brown on one side, about 3 minutes.
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Turn the scallops over, and add a sprig of thyme and a clove of garlic to each pan. Allow the scallops to brown slightly on the other side, continuously basting them with the hot butter, about 2 minutes.
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Transfer the scallops to a platter with a slotted spoon and reserve in a warm place.
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Add the 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and scrape with a wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits; remove the pan from the heat when the butter is completely melted.
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Pour an equal portion of the emulsion onto each plate in a wide stripe down the center.
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Place an equal portion of scallops, browned side up, in the center of each plate, spoon the pan drippings around, and serve immediately.
Preparing Clarified Butter
There are a number of variations on the procedure for making clarified butter, but the end result or goal is always the same: to eliminate the milk solids, which cause the butter to burn and spit when frying or sautéing foods at higher temperatures.
Note: Clarified butter is available in Asian or Indian markets under its Indian name, ghee.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter
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Cut the butter into 1/2 inch slices and place it in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and then come to a boil; this should take about 5 minutes.
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Skim off any foam that rises to the top. The butter should sizzle and crackle; throughout the process, make sure the heat is never so high that the bottom of the pan starts to brown or blacken.
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Lower the heat to keep the butter at a slow, steady boil for another 15 minutes, continuing to skim any surface foam. The bubbles in the butter will become smaller and smaller, ultimately the size of a pinhead. Allow any residual milk solids to settle to the bottom of the pan.
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Carefully pour off the pure, clear, oily butterfat into a holding container, leaving all solids behind. (At this point, you can pass it through a tea strainer or other fine-mesh strainer just to be sure it’s completely clear.)
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Allow the clarified butter to cool to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Reprinted with permission from Geoffrey Zakarian's Town/Country (Clarkson Potter, 2006)
Also try this Town/Country recipe: Carpaccio of Sea Scallops with Sherry Vinegar-Honey Emulsion
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