Scallops may seem intimidating to make at home but not only are they super easy to make, they are SO fast! This whole dish comes together in 10 minutes but it feels so fancy. It’s really the perfect summer dinner! This dish is so simple but so satisfying. Plus it is light, fresh, healthy, and delicious!
You want to get the freshest sea scallops you can find, since they are the star here. Try to make scallops the same day you buy them (or at least the next day), that is when they taste the best. When you’re ready to cook, start by drying off your scallops. You want to get them as dry as possible to help you get the best sear. Moisture is the enemy of a good crust! Once they are dried off, season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
You want to get a cast iron or stainless steel pan piping hot with some high smoke point oil like grapeseed oil or butter. This is my favorite pan to use! You can use a nonstick pan if that is all you have, but you won’t get as good a sear. Once your pan is very hot, you can put your scallops in. Put one in first and make sure you hear a sizzle. If you don’t, wait a little bit before you add the next one. Space your scallops out so they sear instead of steam. If you are using a smaller pan, you will want to cook them in two batches. You want your scallops spread about an inch apart in the pan.
Cook them for 2 minutes on the first side and check for a beautiful golden brown sear. Then flip them over, add a tablespoon of butter, and cook for about 1-2 minutes more. While the scallops are cooking on this side, gently spoon the melting butter over the tops of the scallops. It will keep the tops crisp and will give them great buttery flavor. Try not to overcook the scallops or they will get chewy. So watch them carefully as you cook, they should be golden brown on both sides and just becoming opaque throughout the center.
While you are cooking the scallops, you’ll also be working on your tomatoes. You can also make these first, if you want to focus on the scallops more closely while you cook. Since they cook so quickly, you don’t have to worry about the tomatoes getting cold while you work on the scallops. The tomatoes are super easy to make – just heat some olive oil over medium high heat in a pan and add your tomatoes, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the skins of the tomatoes are wrinkling and some have burst, meaning the juices have spilled out. Garnish with some basil, if you want to, but it’s not necessary.
This dish is super simple, so easy to make, and the flavors are so light and summery. Fresh scallops are so sweet, so the tomatoes are the perfect pairing to complement their flavor. Add this to your summer weeknight dinner rotation!
And if you love seafood, check out my recipes for Cioppino and Linguine with Fresh Clam Sauce!
Scallops with Burst Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh sea scallops
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil or other high smoke point oil (or an additional tbsp of butter)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 12 oz assorted small tomatoes, such as cherry, grape, etc. (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Basil leaves for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Prepare your scallops by drying all sides with paper towels. The drier your scallops, the better your sear will be!
- Once they are dried, sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Set aside while you heat your pan.
- In a large cast iron or stainless steel pan, heat the grapeseed oil (or butter) in the pan over high heat until the pan is extremely hot. The hotter your pan, the better your sear will be! You really want to use something that isn't nonstick so you can get a beautiful sear on your scallops.
- While the pan is heating, you will start on your tomatoes in a separate pan. This one can be nonstick!
- In a pan over medium high heat, add the olive oil, tomatoes and garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook over medium high heat, stirring occassionally, until the tomatoes have burst (their skins are wrinkly, some of their juices are flowing out). Season with additional S&P to taste. I like to keep this very clean and simple tasting since scallops are sweet and delicate in flavor.
- Once the pan for the scallops is hot, carefully add your scallops to the pan. If you are using a smaller pan, you might have to do this in 2 batches. You want your scallops to not be too close together so they can sear, instead of steam.
- Cook for 2 minutes untouched so they can get a nice sear on the bottom. After two minutes, use tongs to carefully flip each scallop over. You should see a nice, golden sear on the scallop when you flip!
- Add the butter and cook a remaining 1-2 minutes in the pan, until fully cooked through. As the scallops are cooking, gently spoon the melting butter over the tops of the scallops.
- You do not want to overcook the scallops, because they will become very chewy. So make sure you are watching them!
- Remove from the pan immediately and serve with the burst tomatoes. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
