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One of the best scallop recipes is garlic scallops where fresh sea scallops are sauteed with garlic butter wine sauce. Quick and easy recipe that takes 15 mins from start to finish.
How To Cook Scallops
I love scallops, I would cook and make them every day if they are not so expensive. They are one of the best ingredients from the sea.
There are many ways to make scallops:
- Sauteed scallops.
- Baked scallops
- Grilled scallops
- In a pasta such as creamy scallops pasta
- In a stew such as seafood stew
Sauteed Garlic Scallops
One of the best scallop recipes are sauteed scallops on the stove using a skillet. I love cast-iron skillet for a simple saute recipe. All you need are some olive oil, melted butter and minced garlic.
The garlic sauce calls for white wine, salt, ground black pepper and cayenne pepper. It’s really that easy!
Dry Scallops (Natural) Vs. Wet Scallops (Soaked)
There are two kinds of scallops available in the market:
Natural/untreated (Dry) and treated/soaked with water (Wet). When it comes to scallops, you want to get dry, natural and untreated sea scallops.
Dry scallops are milky and creamy white in color, sometimes with a slight pale yellow or pink tint. They are soft to the touch and the surface does not feel slippery. The flesh smells of the sea, and they are absolutely briny, sweet, and delightful. They are expensive.
Wet scallops are treated with water and phosphates. They are are less expensive but trust me, you don’t want to get those. They are smooth and slippery to the touch, translucent, and when rinsed with water, the water bubbles up.
Those are the clear indications that they are not natural but treated. Avoid them because they taste nothing like the natural and “real” scallops. In fact, they are bland with no sweet or briny flavors after cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
This scallop recipe is only 236 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Garlic Scallops
This meal is best served with a pasta or as a main dish. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Other Scallop Recipes You Might Like
- Lemon Butter Sauteed Scallops
- Seared Scallops with Garlic Herb
- Honey Sriracha Scallops
- Brown Butter Scallops
Garlic Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500g) scallops, natural and untreated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 dashes ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Rinse the scallops under cold water and remove the tough ligament from the side of each scallop. Pat them dry with paper towels.
- Heat a skillet (cast iron preferred) over medium to high heat. Once fully heated, add the olive oil and butter. Sauté the garlic briefly, then add the scallops and pan-sear until both sides are browned. Add the white wine, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
- Bring the mixture to a light simmer, cooking until the inside of the scallops is cooked through. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Sounds yummy and I will try it. What should I serve the dish with?
Marjorie, please check the post for menu pairing ideas. The recipes are recommended in the post.
What can I use in place of the white wine?
Hi Kim. You can substitute it with chicken or seafood broth, with half a tsp of white wine vinegar for a touch of acidity.
What do you do with the parsley? Although it appears in the photos, I didn’t see it mentioned anywhere. Is it supposed to be cooked? For how long? With the scallops still in the pan or after they are removed?
They are not required just there on photos for photography purposes.
I think I’ll try this recipe but first I live in a small rural area of TN about 400 miles from the closest ocean so my scallops will be frozen just like the rest of the seafood we eat. Enough garlic can overcome anything! LOL
Frozen scallops will work just fine.