It’s time to add something different to your cooking. You’ve gotten used to the chicken, beef, and pork. You have a few turkey dishes, and you have prawns and oil fish on a weekly basis. What you haven’t tried is some of the other seafood that is out there.
Scallops are often overlooked in the supermarket, but they can be absolutely delicious. They are less hassle than some of the other seafood options available and will create a filling and tasty meal. You can create something that everyone in the house will enjoy.
Here are six scallop recipes that you need to try at home right now. There is something for all needs, whether you want a starter for a dinner party or need a main that your kids will enjoy.
#1. Seared Scallops, with a Ginger Puree and Apricot Salsa
Let’s start simple. This is a delicious dish that works as a starter or a small main course. The bulk of the meal is protein and fiber, meaning that you’ll be filled to the brim and won’t be hungry later. In fact, you’ll struggle to fit in dessert!
Ingredients for the Ginger Puree:
- 3 carrots, quartered
- 1 onion, halved1tbsp oil
- 1/2 a cup of chicken broth
- 1tbsp maple syrup
- 1tbsp butter
- 2tsp Dijon mustard
- 2tsp ginger, crushed
- 1tsp lemon juice
- 1tsp white wine vinegar
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
Ingredients for the Apricot Salsa
- 1 apricot, stoned and chopped
- 1 shallot, chopped finely
- 1tbsp capers, minced
- 1tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1tsp lemon juice and zest
- Pinch of salt
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400F
- 2. Make the puree by placing the carrots and onion halves on a baking sheet, drizzled with oil, and roast for 20 minutes
- 3. Transfer to a blender with the rest of the puree ingredients and puree until smooth
- 4. Keep warm on the stove until ready for it or heat it up once you’re ready
- 5. For the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside
- 6. For the scallops, heat some oil in a pan and sear both sides of the scallops until golden on the outside
- 7. Plate a spoonful of the puree on a plate, top with 3 scallops, and then add the salsa
Ingredients for the Scallops:
- 6 scallops
- 1tbsp olive oil
There’s no excuse not to try this scallop recipe considering how easy it is. The longest part is roasting the veggies, and you can do that earlier and store in the fridge! Why haven’t you tried it yet?
#2. Scallops With Bacon Jam and Puree
This is another easy to make and delicious recipe. It’s very much like the first scallop recipe, in the way that it can make both a starter or a light main meal. Consider it for lunch at home at the weekend.
Ingredients for the bacon jam:
- 2tbsp oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 cup of smoked bacon, chopped
- 1tsp thyme
- 1tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1tsp of parsley and chives, chopped
Ingredients for the puree
- 2tbsp butter
- 1 leek, washed and chopped
- 2 cups of sweet corn
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 1/4 cup of whipped cream
- 2tsp truffle oil
Ingredients for the Scallops:
- 1tbsp oil
- 12 scallops, patted dry and seasoned
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 1tbsp thyme
Method
- 1. For the jam, heat the oil in a pan and cook the bacon until crisp and golden
- 2. Place the bacon to one side and then saute the onions for 15 minutes
- 3. Add the thyme and the bacon and cook for another 10 minutes
- 4. Add in the rest of the ingredients, season, and keep warm until ready to serve
- 5. For the puree, melt the butter
- 6. Add the leeks and cook for 5 minutes
- 7. Add in the sweet corn and cook for another 5 minutes
- 8. Stir in the stock, thyme, and bay leaf, allowing the mixture to boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer
- 9. Once the corn is tender, remove the bay leaf and blend the mixture carefully, until smooth
- 10. Add in the cream and truffle oil, seasoning to taste, and keep warm
- 11. For the scallops, heat the oil in a pan
- 12. Add the scallops and sear for two minutes per side
- 13. Add the butter and thyme to baste the scallops for a minute
Serve this on warm dinner plates. Start with a layer of bacon jam and then top with the skillets and finish off with the corn puree. You’ll have everyone at your door wanting to know the secret to such a delicious meal.
#3. Parsley and Scallion Pesto with Seared Scallops
We’re into a little bit more of a main meal with this recipe. However, it can also make a delicious light lunch if you want. You don’t need a jar of pesto for this, as you make it all yourself!
Ingredients for the Pesto:
- 1 cup of parsley leaves
- Pinch of sugar
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 cup of scallions, sliced
Ingredients for the scallops:
- 1 bunch of asparagus, chopped into 2in pieces
- 3tbsp olive oil
- 1.25lbs scallops
- 1lb button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed1/4 cup of dry vermouth
- 1 lemon, halved
Method
- 1. Boil some water and add salt until it’s like sea water
- 2. Meanwhile, set a colander in a bowl of ice water
- 3. Add the parsley to the boiling water and cook for a minute
- 4. Place the parsley in the ice water and leave for 5 minutes
- 5. Drain the parsley and place in a blender, adding the olive oil and sugar, and blend until smooth
- 6. Place the parsley mixture into a bowl and add the scallops, placing the mixture to one side
- 7. Put the asparagus into the boiling water and cook until bright green
- 8. Remove and place in the ice water, before patting dry
- 9. Cook the scallops over a medium to high heat with 2tbsp oil and cook until browned
- 10. Add another tbsp of oil to the pan and cook the mushrooms for 5 minutes, before reducing the heat and adding the shallots and garlic
- 11. Cook for another 3 minutes and then add the vermouth, cooking for another 3 minutes
- 12. Add the asparagus to warm it through
- 13. Place the veggies and scallops on a plate and drizzle with some lemon juice, topping with the pesto
You can make the pesto and prepare the asparagus up to four hours before you cook the rest. Do this if you’re planning a dinner party for your friends.
#4. Corn and Scallop Chowder
Chowders work great as a starter, but they are delicious as a main meal on a cold winter’s night. The whole family will love tucking into a hearty meal that tastes different to the usual meals. You will likely have a lot of requests for it to be made again.
Ingredients:
- 5 slices of bacon, diced
- 1/5lbs of scallops patted dry
- 1 onion, sliced thinly
- 1/2lb potatoes, diced
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream1 cup of corn kernels
- 1/4 cup of parsley, chopped
Method
- 1. In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp, transferring to a plate with paper towels
- 2. Season the scallops and cook in the frying pan until golden brown, transferring to the same plate as the bacon
- 3. Fry the onion in the same pan for 5 minutes and then add the potatoes, broth, wine, and cream
- 4. Simmer, covered partially, for about 15 minutes
- 5. Add the scallops and corn, simmering to heat through6. Pour into a bowl and sprinkle with the bacon and parsley
You can add other seafood to this chowder to create a meal that is full of protein and brain-friendly goodness.
#5. Scallops and Brown Butter Linguine
Now we’re really getting into the main dishes for either a dinner party or a family meal. Everyone will love this. If you don’t want to cook the linguine, you can do some spiralised veggies to make it more paleo diet friendly. The choice is completely up to you.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
- 1tsp lemon zest
- 2tbsp oil
- 3/4lb linguine
- 1 cup of frozen peas
- 16 scallops, patted dry
- 4tbsp butter
- 2tbsp tarragon leaves, chopped
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350F
- 2. Mix the breadcrumbs, zest, tbsp of oil and some salt and pepper and toss on a baking sheet, baking for 6-8 minutes
- 3. While the breadcrumbs cool, cook the linguine as per the package instructions
- 4. Add the peas in the last minute of cooking the pasta and drain the water, reserving half a cup of the water
- 5. Meanwhile, heat the other tbsp of oil and season the scallops
- 6. Cook the scallops until golden brown on one side, turning to cook until opaque on the other
- 7. Cook the butter in the pot you used for the pasta and add the pasta back in with the peas, tarragon, scallops, and the cooking water
- 8. Toss it all together and then serve with the breadcrumbs on top
You can use brown linguine if you want to make this a more fiber friendly meal. However, either way, there will be nobody complaining about being hungry after eating this.
#6. Cherry Tomatoes and Sear Scallops
The final scallop recipe is another that is extremely easy to make and is exceptionally good as a dish for the end of the day. It is full of fiber and protein to keep you full overnight and keep the digestive system working.
Ingredients:
- 3tbsp oil
- 16 scallops
- 1 fennel bulb, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 18oz clam juice
- 1/2 cup of dry white wine
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
- 8 baguette slices
- 1 garlic clove, just peeled
Method
- 1. Heat the oil in a skillet and season the scallops
- 2. Cook the scallops on one side until browned
- 3. In another pan add the onion, fennel, and some seasoning to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes
- 4. Add the clam juice and wine with the tomatoes and cook until the liquid thickens
- 5. Add the scallops with the brown side up and cook for another couple of minutes
- 6. Rub the baguettes with the garlic and drizzle with a bit of oil
Serve the scallops with the vegetables and cooked liquid and the baguette slices on the side. You can eliminate the bread if you want to make this recipe paleo or gluten free friendly.
Which of the Scallop Recipes Will You Try First?
All of the recipes are well worth trying, but you need to pick one first. Start off with one of the ones that sound easiest and work your way up if you want. This is the best way to make sure you and the rest of the family will really enjoy the scallops.
You can get the kids to pick a recipe if they want. Many of them will try the linguine first because it is the one that they recognize the most and feel comfortable with. There’s nothing wrong with this! It at least gets them to try something new, especially if they are picky eaters.
Don’t forget to make a list of all the recipes that you’ve tried. Write them down in your own recipe book, so you can quickly find them at a time that suits you.
Now it’s time to get cooking these delicious scallop recipes. Personally, I do love the ginger puree recipe. It helps to bring a bit of an oriental taste and feel to a meal, without that much prep work or time spent in the kitchen. Some of it can also be done the night before or during the day and be kept in the fridge for when I’m ready to make the scallops.
Share the scallop recipes you’re trying out first in the comments and don’t forget to come back and share how you found them all.
