Seared Curry Scallops
These curry scallops are perfectly seared, tender and absolutely gorgeous. They’re not served in a curry sauce, however. The spices are seared directly into the scallops, giving them a fantastically flavorful crust while not overpowering their rich, natural flavor.
Servings: 5 scallops
Calories: 33kcal
Equipment
- cutting board & sharp knife
- heavy sauté pan
- tongs
- small bowl
Ingredients
- 5 sea scallops
- ½ lime
- 2 tsp. grapeseed oil - one for the pan, one for the spice mixture
- ¼ tsp. curry powder
- ⅛ tsp. garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp. onion powder
- ⅛ tsp. cardamom
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add ½ tsp. curry powder, ¼ tsp. garlic powder, ⅛ tsp. onion powder and ⅛ tsp. cardamom. Add 1 tsp. grapeseed oil and stir. Set beside the oven.
- Pat 5 sea scallops dry and set them in a bowl beside the spiced oil. Slice a lime in half and set one of the halves beside the scallops and oil. You want to have everything easily accessible because the cooking process will be FAST.
- Place a heavy sauté pan on your hottest burner and turn the heat too HIGH. Allow it to heat for at least 30 seconds before adding 1 tsp. grapeseed oil (not the spice mixture) and quickly add the scallops. Using tongs, make sure they’ve all touched the oil and spread them out in the pan. NOTE: You may want to use a spatter screen for a minute because the oil will likely sizzle.
- Allow them to sear on one side for 1½ minutes without touching them. Flip them over and allow them to sear for 1½ minutes. Quickly add the spice-oil mixture, and flip them, making sure they’re smeared in the oil. Allow them to cook for just 30 seconds more.
- Quickly turn off the heat, and spray the pan with lime juice. Allow it to steam for a few seconds. Remove the scallops and serve.
Notes
1. Ideally, scallops should be purchased and served on the same day. Scallops should not be served after refrigerating for more than 2 days. However, they freeze nicely, so if you want to pick them up ahead of time, freeze them and thaw them by either placing them in a refrigerator over night or place them in a ziplock bag and thaw in cold water for 1-2 hours.
2. If you double the recipe, you don't need to double the amount of oil that you use. If you make 10 scallops instead of 5, keep the oil amounts exactly the same. If you double that and make 20 scallops, then double the oil amounts, but simply use half a lime to spritz when you're done, even for 20 scallops.
3. This recipe calls for sea scallops (the big ones), as opposed to bay scallops (the tiny ones). You can still use bay scallops if you like, though. You just won’t flip them once you add the spiced oil. You’ll simply loosen them from searing after 1-2 minutes, add the spiced oil, gently toss them and allow them to sear for 1 more minute after that.
I served these scallops on top of parmesan and garlic mashed cauliflower, if you would like something delicious to serve them on top of.
See post for detailed instructions with photos of the process.
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1scallop | Calories: 33kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 59mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg