Caramelized Scallops

I thought about not blogging this particular recipe.  It was probably my least successful scallop recipe I've ever cooked.  However, I think my problems were entirely due to my ridiculous stovetop and not the recipe, so I'm going to go ahead and blog about it in the hopes that some of my readers actually have stoves that have gradiation (you know, like turn dials)  instead of the ever-so-ancient electric push button style I've got.  My stove just doesn't get hot enough, even when I've got my "number 3" hottest setting, to caramelize the scallops nor cook down the sauce fast enough.  The scallops pictured here were not the rich golden color I prefer, the sauce was a little runny, and the absolute worst was the fact that the scallops got a little rubbery while I waited for the sauce to thicken up.  Bummer, since the most important tip to delicious scallops is to err on the side of undercooking.  Scallops are expensive, too, so I would have loved for this recipe to have turned out.  But, again, I do believe all my issues had to do with my poor stovetop, which really suffers from lack of subtlety in temperature.  Hopefully, someday soon, I will finally be able to leave my (adult) lifetime of apartment living behind and will move into a condo with a better stove (fingers crossed for 2012!), but until then, I probably can't afford scallops anyway!

 

Caramelized Scallops (from Annie's Eats)

12 large sea scallops
Pinch of kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup white sugar, spread on a flat plate
½ cup dry white wine
Juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed
1 tbsp. finely chopped flat parsley
8 chives
1 tbsp. lemon zest

Rinse and dry the scallops well. Season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet on medium-high for 2 minutes. Add the butter and swirl to coat the pan. When the butter begins to foam, prepare the scallops quickly. Working efficiently, coat one side of each scallop in sugar, grasping the sides and using a gentle twisting motion to help the sugar adhere. Place the scallops sugar side down in the skillet and sauté for 2½ minutes. If the sugar starts to brown too quickly, reduce the heat. Flip the scallops over and cook for 1 minute more. Add the white wine and lemon juice to the pan and reduce by half, about 1½ minutes. Transfer the scallops to a platter or serving dishes. Pour the pan juices over the top and garnish with chopped parsley, chives and lemon zest. Serve immediately.