A few days ago I had a message from my friend, Arthur. Arthur is married to my pastry chef friend, Elizabeth. Elizabeth is an excellent cook, obviously, and she can make absolutely anything. Well, anything except shellfish. Elizabeth is big time allergic to shellfish. Even handling shellfish is a problem.
Still, Arthur has been craving scallops, and he needs a recipe. As I recall, what he asked for was a knock-your-socks-off recipe for scallops, and he wanted it named after him. I heard you, Arthur! Behold the best recipe for scallops I know: Arthur’s Bronzed Scallops with Lemon Butter Linguine. Sounds fancy, no? Relax! It’s easy, and fast, too.
This recipe requires dry sea scallops. Sea scallops and bay scallops aren’t interchangeable here. Sea scallops are a couple of inches wide and very white, and bay scallops are more like an inch wide and often beige or pale pinkish brown. There’s also a huge difference between “dry” and “wet” scallops. The terms “wet” and “dry” refer to how the scallops are treated after harvesting. Wet scallops are soaked in a preservative solution, and dry scallops are individually flash frozen literally within minutes of harvest.
So what’s the difference to the cook or the diner? First is taste. Wet scallops have a pronounced chemical taste. You can rinse them ‘til the cows come home, but you can’t completely get rid of it. Second is texture. You simply can’t get wet scallops dry enough to sear properly, and the texture is a little mushy. Dry scallops, on the other hand, remain firm and can be blotted dry to sear beautifully. I know scallops aren’t cheap, and dry scallops are the more expensive of the two. But, honestly, I don’t want to spend any of my money on wet scallops. If I can’t get dry scallops, I’ll save my money until I can. I either read labels and ingredients carefully, or I ask at the seafood counter.
This recipe goes quickly, so gather your ingredients and cook the linguine (or spaghetti, or fettuccine) before you start. Save about a half-cup of pasta water before you drain the noodles! You’re going to add the cooked pasta to the pan sauce you make as soon as the scallops are done, and use some pasta water to finish the dish. (Bonus question: What’s the key to every good pan sauce? Answer: A dirty pan!)
I think either a steamed green vegetable, or a crisp simple green salad, lightly dressed with vinaigrette, is in order here. No need to overwhelm those pricey dry scallops or that awesome sauce.
Bon appetit, Arthur!
Arthur's Bronzed Scallops with Lemon Butter Linguine
Ingredients
- 1 lb. linguine
- 1 lb. "dry" sea scallops, patted dry on both sides, foot muscle removed if present
- 1 ½ T. Creole seasoning, Cajun seasoning, or blackening seasoning
- 6 T. cold butter, divided
- ¼ cup white wine
- 2 T. lemon juice
- dash of heavy cream, optional
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water for 2 minutes less than the package directs. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain, do not rinse, and set aside.
- Season the scallops on both sides with the Creole/Cajun/blackening seasoning.
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat until very hot. Add 3 T. of the butter and allow to melt, then add the scallops to the pan. Cook on one side for about 3 minutes, or until the white opaque line is halfway up the thickness. Flip the scallops and cook another 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside. Turn the heat under the pan to medium low.
- Quickly cut the remaining cold butter in 6 cubes. Don't add it to the pan yet.
- Add the wine to the hot pan, stirring to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan--about 1 minute. Whisk in the lemon juice. Whisking constantly, add the butter cubes one after another as each cube melts. When the last butter cube is melted, turn the heat to low and add the pasta. Toss. Add pasta water a tablespoon at a time until all the pasta is coated in the sauce. You may not need all the pasta water. Add the heavy cream if using. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Divide among plates, top with bronzed scallops, drizzle any sauce left in the pan over the scallops. Serve immediately.
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