Seared Diver Scallops With Green Caper Sauce
Let's talk about scallops for a moment, shall we. By all accounts, the things should be unpalatable; they're the weird, rubbery nuggets of the sea. But the accounts are wrong. Scallops are delicious. Cooked right, they are unbelievably tasty. And this recipe only ups the ante, with a tasty green sauce that balances the bite of parsley with pickled capers.
Seared Diver Scallops With Green Caper Sauce
1/4 C parsley, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon capers, coarsely chopped
salt & white pepper (or searing powder)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
8 large scallops
The sauce is quick and easy, and should be made first since the scallops only take a few short minutes to cook. Simply combine the parsley, lemon zest, minced garlic, and capers in a small bowl and mix them until fully combined. Give the sauce a taste -- it should be nicely balanced and the parsley flavor shouldn't dominate. If it does, toss in a few more capers to even things out.
Before we get to searing the scallops, we have to come up with some searing powder. There are some great store-bought options out there if you're looking for an easy solution. The best one I've found is a blend of salt and white pepper that seems about 50/50. If you want to make it yourself, I'd put equal parts salt and white pepper into a mortar and pestle and grind it until your hand is impossibly tired -- the finer you can get the powder the better.
When you have your searing powder, toss about 3 Tbsp into a plastic bag. Dry your scallops off and throw them in the bag as well. Then, shake the bag until the scallops are evenly coated with a thin layer of searing powder. This will give you a nice brown crust when your scallops are cooked up.
Place the scallops in a pan with a light coating of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the first side for 3 minutes, flip, and sear the other side for 2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook these sea nuggets, or they'll get rubbery and lose some of their delicious tenderness. Top with a bit of green sauce and serve immediately. Healthy, delicious protein of the sea.
