Seared Scallops and Wilted Greens
Rich and savory Seared Scallops and Wilted Greens. A hearty meal that satisfies, yet is easy on the waistline.
The first time I ever seared scallops was on my honeymoon.
Lt. Dan and I got married right after college over seventeen years ago. We decided that before we took the plunge into our new “grown-up” careers, we would spend a month in Colorado, hiking, visiting natural hot springs, rafting, horse-back riding, and taking lots of pictures.
One evening we planned to stay in our cabin and cook. Being honeymooners, we wanted to prepare something fancy… Seared scallops perhaps.
I had some cooking experience, but coming from a family with five kids, we didn’t eat a lot of seafood or expensive proteins.
Like many new cooks, I was afraid of the possibility of raw seafood. The word bacteria kept trailing through my thoughts.
What if I poisoned my new husband?
The image of us sitting in the ER on our honeymoon was more than I could bare. So I sautéed the scallops… And sautéed the scallops. And sautéed, sautéed, sautéed, until at some point they ceased to be moist, buttery pillows of oceanic bliss, and turned into dense rubber balls, similar to those you get out of a 25 cent slot machine.
My sweet new hubby complemented my dinner as he struggled to chew. Upon first bite my teeth trampolined off the scallops. Oh dear, what had I done?
The truth is, many people overcook seafood. Whether due to fear of bacteria or oversight, it’s an absolute travesty to ruin perfectly good fish and seafood by elongated cooking.
Most varieties of seafood are best when just barely cooked through. Seared scallops are actually considered to be cooked to perfection when the top and bottom are caramelized and crisp, yet the inside is a touch undercooked.
Usually 1-2 minutes per side over high heat will do the job!
Today I’ve paired some “colossal” jumbo scallops with wilted greens and served them over white beans for a healthy low carb meal. The acidity in the greens complements the devilishly rich scallops.
Seared Scallops with Wilted Greens could be served with grits, potatoes, or mashed cauliflower, for and elegant low-country meal!
I like to serve Seared Scallops with Wilted Greens on its own to cut the carbs.
Seared Scallops with Wilted Greens
Ingredients
- 3 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 shallots, sliced thin
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bunches kale, chard, beet greens…
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- 12 jumbo sea scallops
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Slice the kale stems into thin pieces and the leaves into larger strips. Heat a large deep sauté pan to medium-high. Add the bacon a cook 3-4 minutes.
- Add the shallots and cook until soft, 3 more minutes. Next add the garlic, and kale stems. Cook another 4-5 minutes before adding the leaves. Toss until the leaves wilt over the heat. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, then salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
- Heat an iron skillet to high. Dry the scallops thoroughly and remove the "foot" on the side of each scallop. Salt and pepper liberally. Add the oil to the pan and swirl around. When it starts to smoke, quickly add the scallops. Cook on high for about 1-2 minutes.
- Flip the scallops over and add the butter. Spoon the butter over the scallops as they cook another 1-2 minutes. Serve over warm greens.
why remove the foot? It is equally tasty
Hi Tony,
You do not have to remove the foot, if you prefer to keep it. Yet it does have a slightly tougher texture.
I have made this recipe several times and my husband and I love it. We never had luck with searing scallops, but your method is the ticket! Made it tonight with rainbow chard from our CSA and it was delicious! I shared your recipe with the members of the CSA.
Absolutely delicious! Best thing I have made in a long time and I cook quite a bit.
This combination of greens and scallops was delicious. we will definitely have this again!
Made this yesterday and it was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making these again very soon. Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe.
Hi Max,
I’m so glad you liked it! :)
This looks amazing. Just like in a restaurant. I love seared scallops. Yum!
I don’t see anything about the beans in the recipe, are they canned beans? Do you do anything to them or just heat them up?
Paige, I just warmed them up and seasoned to taste.
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Wonderful recipe, not a fan of kale will sub Swiss Chard! Please, can you add a “Pin It” link to your site? It would be so helpful. Thanks.
I noticed in this post you said to pat the scallops dry. Before reading this and trying it, I had no idea HOW IMPORTANT that step actually is. Without it, a sear is a hard thing to master. I used this tip to create a little dish of my own! You should check it out. Pan-seared scallops with orange-garlic and wine sauce! YUMMMM.
Thanks for the inspiration!
http://maryinthekitchen.com/2012/12/15/seared-scallops-with-orange-garlic-wine-sauce/
Pure and utter YUM! Shallots, garlic, scallops – CANNOT go wrong there! And such a perfect way to get kale into your diet! I totally need to buy scallops, it’s such a shame that they’re so expensive though!