Best garlic scallops recipe, seared to perfection in a cast iron skillet and cooked in a healthy clarified butter for the ultimate seafood meal!
Jump to RecipeTo sear the scallops you will need organic Ghee like This+cast iron skillet (<–amazon)
A quick post today on how to make easy, good for you, Italian garlic scallops that are perfectly seared yet succulent, garlicky and saucy! You can serve them as an appetizer, starter, or dinner for two with angel hair pasta or over a creamy risotto!
The Best Garlic Scallops Recipe of Your Life!
Initially I planned to make some shrimp, but could not find any wild caught ones at the market, so I grabbed some large wild sea scallops instead.
Lucky me, I also had all that clarifiedbutter/Ghee from the other day, so really, everything finally aligned to make this happen.
Healthy scallops, you don’t even have to worry about eating too much!
The liquid gold butter ghee, is what makes the most delicious sauce for those scallops to swim in. ( If you don’t want to bother making it, you can just order some Herefrom Amazon.
Then you can mop it up with some crusty bread orserve them with rice, asparagus, steamed vegetables, frutti di mare or angel hair pasta aglio e olio + lots of lemon. Garlic spinach and pea puree also make lovely pairings.
So dust off that old cast iron skillet, it’s the only way to get perfectly seared scallops without overcooking them, and ending up with a rubbery mess.
TIP: make sure your scallops are completely patted dry well on paper towels!
You can’t work with watery scallops!
Simply coated in a little bit of olive oil, seasoned well and quickly seared in a hot skillet for no more than 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Easy, simple, perfect, deliciousness!
Then you add your clarified butter, lots of garlicand a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten it all up.
They are a low fat, low calorie, lean protein source, rich in vitamin B-12, essential minerals and Omega-3 fatty acids; but honestly if you look at scientific research they are far from healthy and should be avoided.
UPDATE: since first posting this garlic scallops recipe I’ve become aware of the overwhelming scientific nutritional research and evidence and can no longer support anything but a Plant-Based diet, for the human health, animal welfare and our Planet. We can still enjoy some Vegan Scallops made from king oyster mushrooms and cooked in plant based butter, check out the recipe here.
4.94 from 15 votes
Healthy Garlic Scallops Recipe
Italian garlic scallops, seared to a golden perfection in a cast iron pan and cooked in healthy clarified butter for the ultimate seafood meal!
Make sure to pat dry the scallops on paper towels very well before cooking.
Heat up a large cast iron skillet on medium flame.
Meanwhile in a medium bowl toss the scallops with a drizzle of olive oil or butter ghee, just enough to coat it all over. Sprinkle them with the sea salt, cracked pepper, red pepper flakes and sweet paprika. Toss to coat gently.
Add a little drizzle of butter ghee to the hot skillet, just enough to coat the bottom. Add the scallops making sure not to overcrowd the pan, and sear for about 2 minutes on each side until nicely golden. ( Use a small spatula to flip them over individually )
Add the butter ghee to the skillet with the scallops and then add the garlic. Remove from heat and using a spatula push the garlic around to infuse the sauce for about 30 seconds. The heat from the skillet will be enough for the garlic to work its magic into the butter. This is how you avoid that pungent burnt garlicky taste we don’t like.
We are just looking to extract all that sweetness from the garlic, and this is how you do it, without burning.
Squeeze half of the lemon all over the scallops and move the skillet around a little so it combines with the butter. Sprinkle with the minced parsley, lemon zest and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with crusty bread or al dente capellini noodles.
Notes
If serving with capellini noodles, make about 1/4 pound per person, and stretch the sauce with some of the pasta water the noodles cooked in.
Cook them at high heat, moisten them and don't cook them for too long. Making sure they are healthy is the easiest part. Simply don't add anything that contains large amounts of fat, sugar or salt. A 450 F oven, a sprinkle of lemon juice and pepper and 10 minutes is all you need for scrumptious baked scallops.
Scallops, like many other types of seafood, can have a mild fishy odor that some people find off-putting. Soaking scallops in milk before cooking can help alleviate this odor. Milk can neutralize or mask the fishy smell, resulting in a milder scent.
Scallops are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, healthy fats that can balance your cholesterol levels, reducing your heart disease risk. The high magnesium content in scallops can contribute to heart health as well. This mineral helps relax blood vessels, which can lower your blood pressure and improve circulation.
3 scallops of garlic butter scallops (Seapak) contains 400 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 5% carbs, 86% fat, and 9% protein. This is a good source of protein (16% of your Daily Value) and vitamin a (25% of your Daily Value).
Although shrimp is relatively high in cholesterol, it can still be a part of a heart-healthy diet. This is because it contains a high amount of 'good' cholesterol. Scallops are low in cholesterol and therefore do not pose a risk of raising your cholesterol levels. They are also low in saturated fats.
Because sea scallops have a chewier texture, searing them in a hot skillet is the simplest, most effective cooking method to achieving a crisp exterior and tender, just-firm texture within. Basting the scallops with butter helps finish cooking them and enhances browning, too.
With scallops, the (ahem) stakes are higher. Not only are they an expensive ingredient, but they cook very quickly. Worse yet, over-cooking leaves them dry and rubbery, rather than tender and sweet, and their size and shape make them impractical candidates for an instant-read thermometer.
It's 10 for a reason. Make sure you wash in free running water for at least 10 minutes after shucking, rinsing & trimming to ensure all toxins are effectively removed.
Give your scallops a quick rinse to remove any grit, then thoroughly pat dry with a few paper towels, as excess moisture will inhibit searing. For added insurance, you can dry your scallops in the fridge for an hour or two before cooking.
Each serving is 100 g or 3.5 oz. That's about 2-3 large scallops or 4-5 medium ones. So, a healthy diner can have 16-60 scallops a week, depending on their size and weight.
As they say, you get what you pay for, and the price of scallops varies based on how they're harvested. Diver scallops are considered the rarest and, therefore, the most expensive on the market because they're harvested manually from the ocean floor, which ensures a superior product.
Fish and shellfish in this category, such as salmon, catfish, tilapia, lobster and scallops, are safe to eat two to three times a week, or 8 to 12 ounces per week, according to the FDA.
For anyone looking to add healthy seafood to their diet, sea scallops provide high nutritional value in exchange for low caloric content. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a serving of five large sea scallops has 89 calories, with each scallop containing about 18 calories.
Generally, the best way to cook scallops is searing them. Seared scallops are cooked on the stovetop, usually in a cast iron skillet to get an excellent sear, using butter or oil to get them nice and crispy. The result is a crisp, golden brown exterior with a delicate balance of savory, tender scallops inside.
Scallops contain certain nutrients that are important for your brain and nervous system. Just 3.53 ounces (100 grams) of scallops contain over 100% of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin B12, over 16% of the DV for zinc, and more than 200 mg of omega-3 fatty acids ( 1 ).
Scallops are low in cholesterol and saturated fat, especially when prepared without butter or cream. In addition, they are a nutrient-dense form of protein containing beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
It also contains 35mg cholesterol and 0.19g saturated and polyunsaturated fats. Besides, it contains only 0.07g monounsaturated fat and 0.008g trans fat (negligible). As such, scallops are a low-calorie and low-cholesterol food.
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