Cowboy Butter Scallops
Ingredients
- 2 lbs jumbo scallops
- Salt pepper, and garlic powder for seasoning
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Steps
Bring scallops to room temperature, pat completely dry, and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Make cowboy butter: combine softened butter with garlic, Dijon, lemon juice, zest, herbs, red pepper flakes, and paprika.
Heat heavy skillet over high heat until smoking, add neutral oil.
Sear scallops without moving 2-3 minutes until golden brown, flip and sear 1-2 minutes.
Reduce heat, add cowboy butter, and baste scallops while butter melts and foams.
Serve immediately with pan sauce spooned over scallops.
Notes
– Use “dry” scallops for best searing results – Pat scallops completely dry before cooking – Don’t move scallops during initial searing – Fresh herbs are essential for flavor