Seared Scallops over Arugula with Lemon
Sea scallops seared golden in a very hot skillet, set on lemon-dressed arugula, and spooned with lemon brown butter, shallot, and toasted hazelnuts.
Why you'll love Seared Scallops over Arugula with Lemon
Scallops are the fastest special lunch there is: four minutes in a hot pan and they come out with a deep golden crust and a sweet, tender center. Set on a pile of peppery arugula dressed with nothing more than lemon and olive oil, and spooned with a quick brown butter sauce, they make a plate that feels like a restaurant lunch on an ordinary September weekday.
The whole dish depends on the sear, and the sear depends on dry scallops and a hot pan. Scallops carry a lot of surface moisture, and any water left on them turns to steam and stops the crust from forming. Patted very dry and placed in a skillet hot enough that the oil shimmers, they brown in about 2 minutes a side. The pan then does double duty: butter goes into it, browns in the scallop drippings, and takes on a toasted, nutty flavor that the lemon and shallot sharpen into a sauce.
The hazelnuts echo the brown butter and add crunch. With scallops for protein, butter, olive oil, and nuts for fat, and a big bed of greens, it is a light-feeling lunch that keeps you going all afternoon.
Quick overview: This Seared Scallops over Arugula with Lemon takes 15 min of hands-on time and about 27 min in all and makes 4 servings, each 4 to 5 scallops over about 2 cups arugula. You'll need a skillet.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb large dry-packed sea scallops (16 to 20)
- 1/3 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from 1 1/2 lemons), divided
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 7 oz baby arugula (about 8 loosely packed cups)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Toast the hazelnuts: Put the hazelnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan, for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Tip them onto a plate right away, since the hot pan keeps cooking them.
- Dry the scallops: Pull off the small, tough side muscle on each scallop if it is still attached; it peels away easily with your fingers. Lay the scallops on a double layer of paper towels, cover with more towels, and press gently. Leave them for 10 minutes while you make the salad, then pat again. A truly dry surface is what lets the crust form before the center overcooks.
- Dress the arugula: Whisk the olive oil with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and a pinch of the salt in a large bowl. Add the arugula and toss with your hands until the leaves just glisten, then divide among four plates. Arugula wilts quickly under dressing, so plate it now and the scallops go on warm in a few minutes.
- Season and heat the pan: Season the scallops on both sides with the remaining salt and the pepper, right before cooking, since salt draws moisture back to the surface if it sits. Wipe out the skillet, set it over medium-high heat, add the avocado oil, and heat until it shimmers and moves like water when you tilt the pan.
- Sear: Place the scallops in the pan one at a time, flat side down, leaving an inch between them; cook in two batches if they crowd. Leave them untouched for 2 minutes, until the bottoms are deep golden and release easily. Turn them with tongs and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until they are opaque through the center, firm to the touch, and read 145°F (63°C). Move them to a warm plate.
- Make the lemon brown butter: Lower the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. Swirl it for 1 to 2 minutes, until it foams, the foam subsides, and the milk solids on the bottom turn hazelnut brown and smell toasty. Add the shallot and cook for 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the lemon zest. The lemon stops the butter browning further and turns it into a sauce.
- Plate: Set the scallops over the arugula, spoon the lemon brown butter and shallot over them, and scatter the hazelnuts and chives on top. Serve right away, while the butter is warm.
Storage and leftovers
Scallops are best eaten the moment they are cooked. Refrigerate leftover cooked scallops in a sealed container for up to 2 days and eat them cold over greens, or warm them for a minute in a skillet with a little butter; longer reheating turns them rubbery.
Dressed arugula does not keep, so dress only what you will eat. The toasted hazelnuts keep in a sealed jar at room temperature for a week.
Variations
- With figs: Add 4 fresh figs, quartered, to the arugula. Their soft sweetness is lovely with the brown butter in early fall.
- Shrimp: Sear large peeled shrimp the same way, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes a side, until pink, opaque, and 145°F (63°C).
- Capers: Stir 1 tablespoon of rinsed capers into the brown butter with the shallot for a briny edge.
- Watercress: Use watercress in place of half the arugula for a sharper, more peppery salad.
Notes and tips
- Buy dry-packed scallops: Ask for dry-packed or chemical-free scallops. Wet-packed scallops are soaked in a phosphate solution that makes them hold water, and they release it into the pan and refuse to brown. Dry scallops look ivory to pale pink and slightly sticky.
- Use the right pan: A cast-iron or stainless steel skillet gives the deepest crust. The browned bits it leaves behind are what flavor the brown butter.
- Thaw frozen scallops overnight: Frozen scallops work well. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight on a towel-lined plate, then dry them as above.
- Watch the butter: Brown butter goes from toasty to scorched in under a minute. Pull the pan off the heat as soon as the solids turn the color of a hazelnut skin.
Nutrition and mindful eating
- Scallops are almost pure protein with a sweet, delicate flavor, and they bring vitamin B12, selenium, and zinc to a quick lunch.
- Arugula is a peppery green in the same family as cabbage and broccoli, and its bite keeps the rich butter sauce lively.
- Butter, olive oil, and hazelnuts are the real fats here, and fat carries the toasted, lemony flavors and makes a light plate satisfying.
- Lemon and shallot brighten the sauce, so a small amount of butter tastes generous.
- As you eat, notice the contrast between the crisp, golden crust and the tender center of each scallop, and check in through the afternoon: this lunch should carry you 3 to 4 hours, light and steady, with no slump around 3 o'clock.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this Seared Scallops over Arugula with Lemon? Start here, with the questions people ask most.
How do I know when scallops are done?
They turn from translucent to opaque all the way through, feel firm with a slight spring when pressed, and read 145°F (63°C) in the center. Cut one in half if you are unsure.
Why won't my scallops brown?
Usually they were wet-packed or still damp, or the pan was crowded or not hot enough. Dry them well, heat the oil until it shimmers, and give each scallop an inch of space.
Can I use bay scallops?
Yes, though they are small and cook in about 1 minute a side. They brown less, so get the pan very hot and cook them in a single layer.
What else can I serve with it?
Roasted asparagus or a few slices of avocado on the arugula turn it into a larger meal.
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