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.
I LOVE the new look! It is definitely pleasing to the eye. I have never made my own scallops but I enjoy them and would love to try my hand at it sometime. Yours look absolutely beautiful.
Great new look, Sommer! As for the scallops … perfect advice on searing! I do love a velvety scallop with just the right amount of crunch on the outside! Love your treatment on the bed of wilted kale … so healthy and tasty!
Love the new layout! Congrats on the move to WordPress, I really am loving the new graphics as well! These scallops look fantastic, and the wilted greens are an excellent bed for them.
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scallops are the best seafood ever! I love them and I put them in any number of plates. My biggest wish is to put them in a dessert :)
Beautiful caramelization on the scallops! They are a nice addition to this seasonal dish; that is as good for you as it looks!
Congrats! the new site looks goooood! Keep inspiring us with your lovely recipes :)
loving the new site, i really need to work on mine..thanks for the link..your scallops are stunning..and how cute..kissy pics, how fun!!
sweetlife
Great new site! CONGRATS!
Congrats on your new site…it’s gorgeous! I love scallops and this dish looks really yummy with the wilted kale.
I like the NEW look! Easy on the eyes. Looks like yummy dish..I have never made scallops and I dont know why! :)
Sommer, love scallop and the idea of serving in a bed of yummie veggies is sure very tempting…beautifully presented :-)
Wow–love the new page! It looks so professional! This dish looks so good. I just love scallops. Great tip and photo about the scallop foot–it is surprising how many people don’t know about that!
Sommer
I do believe that is one of the most perfect dishes I have seen in a while!! Those lovely scallops cooked to perfection, on top of bitter greens with bacon , over white beans….wow!! All those great flavors working together to create such a memorable meal!
Cheers
Dennis
Scallops and greens are two of my favorite foods. Can’t wait to try this one.
The site looks great!
PS, I clicked on the PRINT version and got the whole dam post PLUS THE COMMENTS. It’s STILL PRINTING. I cancelled it, of course, but I can’t afford the ink!!!!!!!!!!! What happened?????
Sorry dear! I’ll check into it…
Lynn~ It printed on ONE sheet for me. No pictures!?!
Just curious, what’s a “beat” green?
lol, this sounds fantastic.
I LOVE scallops, but I’m going to try this with local North Carolina wild shrimp (they are on sale here in NC now), and I bet it’ll taste great!! Can’t BEET it!!
Ha! Thanks for the correction. My editor (hubby) must have missed it!
Hey Sommer, this is mood food!! I don’t know if you think of it that way, but scallops are high in magnesium. A mineral that is key for proper mood (4 out of 5 Americans are deficient in it!). Then there are the nutrient rich greens and protein rich beans-la perfeccion:-) Ooh, and I can see that you’ve learned a lot about seafood since the early days. Delicious looking these scallops are!