Seared Scallops with Pea Puree & Butter Sauce

Pan Seared scallops with pea puree and a butter sauce, a simple starter that hero’s the scallop. If you have sweet fresh scallops they really need very little done to them. A simple season and sear them in a hot pan and finish with a little butter, perfection!

In a few simple steps I show you how to cook perfect scallops with minimal fuss. The trick is not to overcook them. There is nothing worse than an overcooked scallop with a texture like rubber. Cooked properly scallops should be golden on the outside, soft on the inside.

When it comes to what to serve with pan seared scallops, I like to keep the flavours simple. The beauty of a scallop is that it should taste of the sea. None of the flavours I’ve added to this dish overpower the scallop.

The sweet flavour of pea puree compliments the scallops. I’ve also added a simple butter sauce recipe which adds a touch of luxury and finishes the dish beautifully.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• The perfect balance of flavours sweet salty scallops, fresh pea puree and a delicious and slightly acidic butter sauce.
• An elegant dish that is surprising quick to cook, but will look impressive on any dinner table.
• Once you’ve learned how to cook scallops properly you will cook them with confidence, dispelling any idea that scallops are tricky to cook.

Recipe ingredients

• Scallops: I used 12 fresh scallops in this recipe to serve 4, allowing 3 per serving. I’ve removed the scallop coral but it is entirely edible and you can cook it too if you wish.
• Seasoning: I keep the seasoning simple with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Oil: the scallops are being seared in a very hot pan so use an oil with a higher burn temperature like sunflower or rapeseed oil.
• Butter: I like to add a knob of butter at the end of the cook to baste the scallops and add flavour. Butter also adds a love sheen to the scallops.
• Lemon: I serve the scallops with a wedge of fresh lemon.

Pea puree ingredients

• Butter: you can use salted or unsalted butter to make the puree.
• Shallot: I use finely chopped shallot in the puree as it has a lovely mild flavour. Red onion would be a good substitution.
• Stock: I use vegetable stock, although a light chicken stock would work too.
• Peas: I use frozen peas for the pea puree recipe. Frozen peas are a lot sweeter as they are frozen within a short time of being picked. Whilst the fresh peas we find on our supermarket shelves can be many days old.
• Seasoning: I season the puree with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Butter sauce ingredients

• Butter: I like to use unsalted butter, just make sure it is super chilled as you need cold butter to help the sauce to emulsify.
• Shallot: I use finely chopped shallot in the sauce as it has a lovely mild flavour.
• Peppercorns: black peppercorns are added to the sauce for flavour, then removed before the sauce is finished.
• Wine: dry white wine adds acidity and is reduced in the sauce. Use a decent wine, something you would drink yourself, as it will affect the flavour of the finished sauce.
• Cream: I use double cream (heavy cream) in the sauce.
• Seasoning: I season the sauce with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

How to make seared scallops with pea puree & butter sauce

This is a 3 stage process and I recommend cooking it in the follow order, finishing with the searing of the scallops so they can be served straight from the pan and don’t overcook.

How to make pea puree

• Add the butter to a saucepan and melt over a medium heat. Add the shallot to the pan and saute gently for 5 minutes to soften, but not colour.
• Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil before adding the peas. Lower the heat and simmer the peas for 3-4 minutes until soft.
• Sieve the peas to drain, retaining the cooking stock for later.

• Pour the pea mixture into a food processor, or use a stick blender.
• Add a little stock and blend.
• Keep adding the remaining stock a little at a time until you have a reached the consistency that you want.
• Season to taste and set aside until ready to plate.

How to make a classic butter sauce

Butter sauce is a classic sauce to serve alongside fish, or indeed any seafood, and works particularly well in this seared scallop recipe. It’s relatively quick to make, the one thing you cannot do however, is walk away when you are cooking it. This is a sauce that needs your attention.

• Take one small cube of the butter and place it in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and peppercorns and saute gently for 5 minutes. Take care to only soften and not to colour the shallot.

• Increase the heat in the pan, add the white wine and reduce by three quarters.
• Add the cream and reduce that for a further 2 minutes.

• Add the remaining butter a cube at a time, whisking until you have a smooth sauce.
• Remove the black peppercorns and season to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to serve.

TOP TIP: If the butter sauce looks like it’s going to split, a great tip is to add just a splash of cold water. The cold water helps to bring the sauce back together again without affecting the overall taste.

How to pan sear scallops

• Wash the scallops and dry on some kitchen paper. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

• Heat a large non-stick frying pan to a high temperature and add the oil. Place the scallops into a pan and allow them to cook for 2 minutes before flipping them over and cooking for a further minute on the other side.
• Add the butter to the pan at this point and baste the scallop in melted butter, this will add to their flavour and give the scallops a lovely shine.

A perfectly cooked scallop!

TOP TIP: Do not move the scallops around the pan while they cook as you want the scallops to colour on each side, whilst keeping the inside tender.

TOP TIP: My top tip when it comes to cooking larger quantities of scallops is to place them into the pan in a circular pattern. When it comes to flipping the scallops over, you start again with the first scallop you placed in the pan and finish with the final scallop placed in the pan. I then follow the same circular pattern when removing the scallops from the pan. This little bit of order helps to ensure an even cook and stops the scallops overcooking.

• Place some pea puree on each of the serving plates and place the scallops on top. Pour over some of the butter sauce and serve half a lemon on each plate. Serve immediately.

Recipe variations

• I like to cook scallops simply in butter and oil with a little salt and pepper, however you can add other spices to scallops if you wish, just don’t be heavy handed.
• Scallops pair really well with meat, think surf and turf. Try adding some sauteed black pudding or sliced chorizo sausage to the dish.
• Fresh herbs like mint or parsley are a great addition to the pea puree.
• You could also add some finely grated lemon zest to the pea puree for a burst of fresh citrus.
• The butter sauce can also be finished with some freshly chopped herbs, try fresh tarragon or parsley which would work really well with the scallops.

Useful hints and tips

1. Only cook the scallops just before serving otherwise you risk overcooking this delicate seafood when reheating.
2. The pea puree can be made a few hours ahead of time. Simply cook and puree the peas, then pop them into a container and cover them with some cling-film placed directly on top of the puree to stop it drying out. The puree can then be reheated when you are ready to eat.
3. To get ahead with the butter sauce, you can prepare the ingredients for butter sauce ready for cooking, even cook the shallot and reduce the wine and cream. Stop before adding the cubes of cold butter.
4. Only finish the butter sauce by adding the cold cubes of butter, just before you are ready to serve, as it avoids the sauce from splitting.
5. Butter sauce goes well with a variety of seafood try it with pan fried white fish like seabass, hallibut or bream, or with oily fish like salmon and trout.
6. Allergy advice: gluten free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

FAQs

Pin the recipe

Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my favourite seafood starter recipes:

• Scallops with Celeriac & Bacon
• Smoked Mackerel Pate
• Beetroot Cured Salmon
• Smoked Mackerel & Beetroot Salad