Scallops with Burst Tomatoes
This dish comes together incredibly quickly - in under 10 minutes! Scallops don't need a lot of time in the pan to be cooked perfectly, so this is a great meal when you want something that feels special but doesn't require you to dedicate a lot of time to it.
Servings: 2 people
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.