Sautéed Bay Scallops
Bay scallops cook in minutes and feel like a splurge ~ this quick lemon butter version keeps it simple and really good.
Servings: 2
Equipment
- skillet
Ingredients
lemon butter sauce
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely minced
- 2 tsp capers
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Place your 1/2 lb fresh bay scallops on paper towels to dry. Pat them over the top, too.
- Season lightly salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Dust with paprika, if using.
- Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1-2 tsp butter, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Add scallops in a single layer ~ don’t crowd the pan. Sauté for 1–2 minutes and then toss/flip them once and continue for another minute or so. They should turn opaque but will stay pale.
- Transfer immediately to a warm plate and tent with foil.
make the lemon butter sauce
- Lower the heat to medium and add the 1 clove garlic, minced. Stir just to heat through, but not brown. Deglaze the skillet with 2 Tbsp lemon juice, scraping up any bits from the pan.
- Swirl in the 4 Tbsp butter, a tablespoon at a time until the sauce emulsifies and looks silky. Melting the butter gently helps keep the sauce smooth and emulsified. Note: If you melt it too quickly or over high heat, the butter can break, meaning the fat separates from the milk solids, resulting in a greasy or curdled-looking sauce.
- Stir in the 1 Tbsp fresh parsley and 2 tsp capers. Taste and adjust with more lemon, salt, or a pinch of pepper.
- Spoon the warm sauce over the scallops or return them briefly to the pan to coat (off heat).
- Scallops are best eaten right away, but if you have leftovers you can reheat briefly in the microwave.
Notes
Heads up—if your garlic turns a little blue or green, don’t panic.
It’s a harmless reaction that can happen when young fresh garlic meets acid (like lemon juice). Totally safe to eat, just a little kitchen chemistry at work.
The color change comes from sulfur compounds in the garlic reacting with acid. Fresh young garlic hasn’t had time to cure, so it still contains higher levels of enzymes and sulfur compounds that react more easily with acid (like lemon juice in your sauce). That makes the blue-green color shift more likely in spring and early summer, when garlic is fresher and less processed. Simple test: you can slice or crush a clove and drizzle it with a little lemon juice or vinegar—if it’s going to turn color, you’ll usually see a shift within 10–30 minutes.
The color change comes from sulfur compounds in the garlic reacting with acid. Fresh young garlic hasn’t had time to cure, so it still contains higher levels of enzymes and sulfur compounds that react more easily with acid (like lemon juice in your sauce). That makes the blue-green color shift more likely in spring and early summer, when garlic is fresher and less processed. Simple test: you can slice or crush a clove and drizzle it with a little lemon juice or vinegar—if it’s going to turn color, you’ll usually see a shift within 10–30 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 322 kcal · Carbohydrates: 5 g · Protein: 14 g · Fat: 27 g · Saturated Fat: 17 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 98 mg · Sodium: 714 mg · Potassium: 274 mg · Fiber: 0.2 g · Sugar: 0.4 g · Vitamin A: 1000 IU · Vitamin C: 9 mg · Calcium: 22 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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