Buttery Scallops with Lemon, Garlic and Basil
Plump scallops seared and then set in an easy-to-make, rich and flavourful melted butter mixture. Serve scallops with rice and your favourite vegetables. The scallops cook quickly, so have all ingredients prepped and ready to go before searing them.
Recipe - Quality Foods
Buttery Scallops with Lemon, Garlic and Basil
Prep Time15 Minutes
Servings2
Cook Time7 Minutes
Ingredients
12 large East Coast scallops
salt and white pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 Tbsp butter, or to taste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
pinch ground cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (see Options)
lemon slices and basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 200 F. Pat scallops dry with paper towel, and then season with salt and white pepper. Pour oil into a large non-stick or cast iron skillet and set over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add scallops and cook and sear 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through (see Note). Set scallops on a plate and keep warm in the oven.
- Remove any oil left in the skillet. Now set skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook and stir 30 seconds. Add butter, juice, zest and cayenne to the skillet and cook and stir until butter is melted and bubbly.
- Set scallops, and any juices on the plate they sat on, back in the skillet. Sprinkle in the basil. Turn and coat scallops with the butter mixture, and then serve, garnished with lemon slices and basil, if using.
Note: When cooked, the scallops will feel slightly firm, but still have a little give in the centre. If overcooked, they’ll feel very firm, shrink in size and become unappealingly chewy.
Options: For a milder herb taste, replace the basil with chopped fresh parsley.
15 minutes
Prep Time
7 minutes
Cook Time
2
Servings
Shop Ingredients
Makes 2 servings
Quality Foods - Prv Frzn Scallops 40, 100 Gram
$3.99/100g$3.99/100g
Windsor - Salt & Pepper Shakers, 155 Gram
$6.49$4.19/100g
Western Family - Pure Olive Oil, 250 Millilitre
$8.99$3.60/100ml
Garlic - Bulb, Mesh, 3 Each
$1.49$0.50 each
QF - Quality Foods Salted Butter, 454 Gram
Free with 3450 Points Redeemed$6.99$1.54/100g
ReaLemon - Lemon Juice Squeezers, 125 Millilitre
$2.19$1.75/100ml
Lemons - Large, 1 Each
$1.19
Mccormick - Ground Cayenne Pepper, 33 Gram
$5.49 was $6.99$16.64/100g
Western Family - Fresh Sweet Basil, 20 Gram
$2.99$14.95/100g
ReaLemon - Lemon Juice Squeezers, 125 Millilitre
$2.19$1.75/100ml
Directions
- Preheat oven to 200 F. Pat scallops dry with paper towel, and then season with salt and white pepper. Pour oil into a large non-stick or cast iron skillet and set over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add scallops and cook and sear 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through (see Note). Set scallops on a plate and keep warm in the oven.
- Remove any oil left in the skillet. Now set skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook and stir 30 seconds. Add butter, juice, zest and cayenne to the skillet and cook and stir until butter is melted and bubbly.
- Set scallops, and any juices on the plate they sat on, back in the skillet. Sprinkle in the basil. Turn and coat scallops with the butter mixture, and then serve, garnished with lemon slices and basil, if using.
Note: When cooked, the scallops will feel slightly firm, but still have a little give in the centre. If overcooked, they’ll feel very firm, shrink in size and become unappealingly chewy.
Options: For a milder herb taste, replace the basil with chopped fresh parsley.