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Juice lemons. Spoon out capers. Heat pan. Cook scallops. Make sauce in same pan. Serve.
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
3
12
3
2
Preparation
Step 1
Cut 2 lemons in half and squeeze juice into a measuring glass or small bowl; you should have ¼ cup juice. Set aside. Using a paring knife, cut ends off remaining lemon to expose flesh. Upend lemon on a cut end and remove peel and white pith from lemons; discard. Cut between membranes to release segments into bowl with juice; squeeze membranes to get any last drops of juice. Fish out any seeds; set aside. Thinly slice chives and place in a small bowl; set aside.
Step 2
Pull side muscle off scallops, if needed; pat dry. Season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet, preferably stainless steel, over medium-high. Pour in oil to lightly coat surface (2–3 Tbsp.); heat until it shimmers and you see first wisps of smoke. Swiftly place scallops into skillet, flat side down, and cook without touching, tossing, or fussing until underside is deep golden brown, 3–4 minutes. Use a thin spatula or tongs to gently turn over; if they resist, cook another 30 seconds and try again. Cook on second side until flesh at top and bottom looks opaque but there is still a faintly translucent strip in the middle, 1–2 minutes, depending on size. Transfer scallops to a plate.
Step 3
Pour off any oil in skillet and set over medium heat. Add butter and cook, swirling, until butter foams, then browns, about 2 minutes. Add reserved lemon juice and segments; energetically stir and swirl pan to emulsify sauce. Mix in capers and reserved chives and spoon pan sauce around and over scallops.
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Reviews (53)
Back to TopI made this for my family and even my son - an avowed caper and lemon-in-food-hater - loved it. Scallops cooked up as instructed turned out perfect. We have a new go-to recipe!
NatalieL
Sanford, NC
5/29/2024
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then another 30 seconds? Do you want to make a hockey puck?
Ken
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
10/19/2023
These were great! I like high acidity so the lemon amount was great. Served with broccolini and garlic mashed potatoes. DIVINE!
Siobhán Neely Vélez
Austin, TX
6/16/2022
Simple and fabulous! Love Carla's recipes as they are easy to follow and offer great tips!
Michelle K
Valparaiso, IN
2/25/2022
Capers are a no-no for scallops. Keep it simple... Lemon? Just a few drops; same for chives. In cooking, less is more. As Curnonsky coined: "Good cooking is when things taste of what they are." (from « Le plus grand principe de toute vraie cuisine, c'est que les choses aient le goût de ce qu'elles sont », from chef Georges Poumot- Auberge Saint Roch- Paris)
Anonymous
10463
10/9/2021
Made this as directed. It was restaurant quality. Wallstreet this when we have GG jests. Served it ona bed of linguini. Absolutely delicious!! 5 stars for sure.
D. Hickman
Richmond, Va.
9/15/2021
A bit too much lemon for my taste. Replace about half of the lemon with a splash of white wine. Good direction on searing the scallops avoiding the temptation to stir fry.
Barry L
Ottawa, Canada
9/12/2021