Scallops with Buttered Lemon Sauce

Name: Scallops with Buttered Lemon Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 16 sea scallops – try for dry scallops if available; Sea salt and fresh ground pepper; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 cup white wine; Zest and juice from one lemon; 1 small shallot, minced; 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into chunks; 1 cup grated parmesan cheese; 1 tablespoon cream; 1 pound baby spinach; Lemon wedges (optional)

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This easy recipe for scallops with buttered lemon sauce is perfect for both special occasions and every day supper!

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Why we love this recipe

This easy recipe for scallops with lemon drizzle makes me happy in so many ways…let me count them!

First, scallops of any kind are the Southern husband’s favorite. (I’m especially looking at you, you delectable bowl of bacon scallop risotto!)

And it’s always a good thing when you plunk down a plate of someone’s favorite in front of them…suppertime immediately becomes that much more festive.

Second, it is an easy but still elegant recipe that is perfect for when you want a special occasion dinner that won’t stress you out.

It’s got that special occasion look about it, but I promise that it is so quick and easy that it brings me to my third thing I love about this recipe: it takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish to make, which qualifies it as something I can also make on an ordinary Thursday night.

Are you convinced yet? Let’s make it!

Ingredients you need to make this recipe

Sea Scallops: The big kind, not the teeny bay scallops.
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
White Wine: Any kind you have will work fine.
Lemon
Shallot: Look for these in the produce section near the onions.
Butter: I like salted butter for this recipe, but unsalted will work fine.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated if you can!
Cream: Just one teeny tablespoon.
Spinach: We love baby spinach for this recipe.

Here’s how to make this seafood recipe!

(Scroll down for the handy complete printable recipe with nutrition info!)

STEP 1: First we make the sauce! Combine a half cup of white wine, lemon zest and lemon juice and a chopped shallot in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until most of the wine is evaporated, about 10 minutes or so.

STEP 2: Whisk in some cold butter and parmesan cheese until both are melted. Stir in a tablespoon cream, turn off heat and set this gloriousness aside.

STEP 3: Put some olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season your sea scallops with salt and pepper, place them in the oil and sear for 3 minutes without moving them. Loosen them with a small spatula and then turn over with tongs and cook for another minute. You will probably have to do the scallops in several batches – simply cover the cooked ones loosely with foil while you cook the others.

STEP 4: While the scallops are cooking, sauté some baby spinach in another large skillet until it is nice and wilted.

STEP 5: Assemble as follows: make a nice bed of spinach on each plate, top with a few scallops and generously drizzle with that delectable sauce. Serve with extra lemon wedges if you like!

Buttered lemon scallops FAQ

What are dry scallops?

Scallops come in two versions: wet scallops and dry scallops, and we always want to try for dry. Dry scallops are freshly caught scallops that aren’t treated with any outside ingredients. Wet scallops have been treated with a preservative that theoretically has them last longer, but can add a kind of chemical taste. Most scallops today are sold dry, but it never hurts to check!

How do I zest and juice a lemon?

Start with the zesting! There are all kinds of fancy lemon zesting tools out there, but I love my microplane zester – it does the job quickly and you can also use it for cheese. Simply drag the lemon over the zester and little chopped lemon peel pieces will come out the other side. As for juicing, you can get as fancy as having a citrus juicer that squishes the juice out and leaves the seeds, or you can simply squeeze that lemon juice into a prep bowl with your hands.

Is there something I can substitute for the white wine?

If you would rather not use wine for this recipe, you can use clam juice (look for it near the tuna fish in your grocery store) instead.

What is the best way to sear scallops to get a good crust?

The trick to scallop searing is to heat the oil up well before you add the scallops, and once you put them into the hot oil (I use tongs for that), leave them there for a full three minutes before you turn them over. That lets a nice brown sear form on the outside. When it’s time to turn them, I slide a small spatula underneath each scallop to loosen it from the surface of the pan, and then I use the tongs to turn them over. The LAST thing anyone wants is for that brown crusty bit to stick to the pan. We want to be eating that!

Have a question that I didn’t cover?

Pop it in the comments and I will answer pronto!

I’m not saying you couldn’t serve this over a nice creamy polenta or pasta or a flavorful rice pilaf or mashed potatoes, because you COULD. You be you!

My last piece of advice with this recipe? Be a generous sauce drizzler. That’s my motto. I put a few lemon slices on the side in case anyone wants an extra hit of lemon, and voila! Easy, elegant scallop with buttery lemon sauce wonderfulness.

And in my house, I’ve now got the Southern husband smiling right back at me. What could be better?

OTHER SCALLOP RECIPES WE LOVE!

Bacon Scallop Risotto

This luscious recipe for bacon scallop risotto nestles tender sea scallops in a bed of creamy cheesy rice for a seafood supper that is dinner party worthy!

Bacon Scallop Risotto

This luscious recipe for bacon scallop risotto nestles tender sea scallops in a bed of creamy cheesy rice for a seafood supper that is dinner party worthy!

Scallops in Maple Cream Sauce

This easy recipe for scallops in maple cream sauce features a sweet and salty, creamy sauce flavored with maple and bacon for a dinner party worthy supper!

Scallops in Maple Cream Sauce

This easy recipe for scallops in maple cream sauce features a sweet and salty, creamy sauce flavored with maple and bacon for a dinner party worthy supper!

Lime Parmesan Scallops

This four ingredient recipe for lime parmesan scallops is so easy and speedy to make, and you won’t believe the dinner party level deliciousness!

Lime Parmesan Scallops

This four ingredient recipe for lime parmesan scallops is so easy and speedy to make, and you won’t believe the dinner party level deliciousness!

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