Description
Brown Butter Scallops are a quick yet elegant dish featuring perfectly seared scallops bathed in nutty brown butter with garlic and thyme. This simple yet luxurious recipe is sure to impress with its rich flavors.
Ingredients
Scallops (about 24, 1 ¼ pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Unsalted butter
Garlic, minced
Fresh thyme
Lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Remove the small side muscle from the scallops and rinse them under cold water. Pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- Season the scallops with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- In a large cast iron skillet, melt 1 tbsp of butter over medium-high heat. Add scallops in a single layer, cooking 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown and translucent in the center. Set aside to keep warm.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add the remaining 5 tbsp of butter, 1 tbsp at a time, letting it melt and foam.
- Add minced garlic and fresh thyme to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Return the scallops to the skillet and spoon brown butter over them for 1 minute, allowing them to soak up the flavor.
- Serve immediately, garnished with lemon wedges.
Notes
Experiment with fresh rosemary or sage instead of thyme.
For extra heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the brown butter.
Swap lemon wedges with lime or orange for a citrus twist.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Pan-Seared
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
