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Sea Scallops with Browned Butter, Capers and Lemon

Sea Scallops with Browned Butter, Capers and Lemon

With just six ingredients, you get a caper and lemon sauce with nutty browned butter that highlights the scallops’ sweetness.

By Courtney HillApril 21, 2022

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    25 minutes
  • Rating

In this recipe, sea scallops get the piccata treatment. Their sweet, briny flavor is perfectly matched by nutty browned butter, salty capers and puckery lemon. When shopping, look for U15 dry sea scallops—the sizing indicates there are fewer than 15 scallops per pound. “Dry” indicates that the shellfish has not been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), a preservative that forces water retention and that has a bleaching effect. In fact, bright white color is a tell-tale sign of the presence of STPP, as untreated scallops have a pale coral or ivory hue. And at the seafood counter, dry scallops should not be sitting in a pool of milky liquid. Serve with crusty bread and a leafy salad dressed with a bright vinaigrette.

Tip

Don’t attempt to move the scallops immediately after placing them in the skillet. They may stick at first but will release after they’ve formed a nicely browned bottom crust.

Ingredients
  • 1 - 1 ¼

    pounds dry sea scallops (see headnote), side tendons removed and discarded, patted dry

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 2

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4

    tablespoons salted butter, cut into 4 pieces

  • ¼

    cup drained capers

  • 2

    scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, whites and greens reserved separately

  • 1

    teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus lemon wedges to serve

Step 1

Place the scallops on a paper towel–lined plate. Season lightly on all sides with salt; set aside.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the oil until barely smoking. Quickly pat the scallops dry once again and place in the pan, a flat side down, spacing them evenly apart. Cook without disturbing until golden brown on the bottoms and they release easily from the pan, 2 to 4 minutes.

Flip each scallop, then add the butter, capers and scallion whites, swirling the pan to incorporate.

Step 2

Cook, spooning some of the hot butter over the scallops, until the butter smells nutty and the scallops are opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and, using tongs, transfer the scallops to a serving plate. To the skillet, add the lemon zest and juice; stir to combine.

Taste and season with salt and pepper, then pour the sauce over the scallops. Sprinkle with the scallion greens.

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