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Friday 29 January 2016

Seared scallops with leeks & lemon chilli butter


This makes a beautiful starter dish, and if you are looking for something special, perhaps for a birthday, anniversary or Valentines Day ... then this dish may be just what you need! It's scallops with a bit of lemon and chilli ... plus, they are ready in a flash... how perfect is that!

Here is what you'll need to serve four:
(obviously amend amount of ingredients to suit)
4 young, but not baby leeks, trimmed
12 scallop, roes on or off
1 tbsp light olive oil

lemon wedges to serve
For the butter:
250g pack butter, softened
1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic clove, crushed
zest 2 lemons
bunch parsley, leaves chopped, plus extra to serve



Here is what you do:
1. For the butter, mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, then beat well with a wooden spoon until there are no lumps of butter left. Spoon onto a large sheet of cling film, then wrap tightly in a sausage shape. Chill until firm (or put in the freezer if you’re short of time).
2. Set up a pan with a steamer or suspend a heatproof colander over the top of a pan. Cut the leeks in half lengthways, then slice into long strips, about the thickness of tagliatelle. Cover, then steam for 6 mins until tender, with no signs of squeakiness. Season, then set aside.
3. Dry the scallops on kitchen paper and season. Heat a heavy-based pan, then add the oil. Once hot, add the scallops, keeping them close together – this helps the sides to stay straight and tall rather than sagging. Sizzle for 2 mins until caramelised and you can see the heat creeping up the outside. Turn over with a palette knife, then fry for 1 min more. Take off the heat, then add a few good slices of the butter to the pan, spooning over the scallops as it melts.
4. To serve, wind a nest of warm leeks in the centre of 4 plates, top each with 3 scallops, spoon over the buttery sauce (it looks smart trickled around the plate), then sprinkle with the remaining parsley. Squeeze over a little lemon juice before you tuck in.

Tip:
The leftover butter will keep in the fridge for up to a week, or can be frozen in portions for up to a month. Try it tossed though pasta or courgetti, also nice with crab-meat or prawns, and why not stir it through some steamed green vegetables!

Original idea here and see more about scallops here

Enjoy ...



All the best Jan

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good food.
Also liked your link to other scallops recipes.
Thanks.
Julia.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, I love scallops. This sounds like a great recipe, thanks for sharing. Enjoy your weekend!

Snowbird said...

You do come up with tasty recipes!xxx

Debbie said...

scallops....one of my favorites, second only to shrimp!!!!!!

DeniseinVA said...

Looks great. I love scallops. Thanks Jan!

Lowcarb team member said...

Julia
Welcome to the low carb diabetic blog and thank you for your comment.
Yes, "Scallops served on a bed of chopped salad - just choose your favourite ingredients" which I linked to, is such good tasting food ... and here is the link again should any other readers wish to have a look:
http://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/scallops-food-of-gods.html

I do hope you are enjoying your weekend

All the best Jan

Lowcarb team member said...

Eileen
Many thanks for your comment.
Yes, scallops are great aren't they ... and ready in minutes!

Hope your weekend is going well.

All the best Jan

Lowcarb team member said...

Snowbird
Thank you for your comment.
We try and bring a wide variety of recipes - something for everyone.
Of course recipes can always be adapted slightly to better suit the readers tastes/ requirements ... but that is what is so good in sharing delicious recipe ideas!

Do hope you are having a restful weekend, and the weather isn't too bad where you are.

All the best Jan

Lowcarb team member said...

Debbie
Thank you for your comment.
Scallops and shrimps - two great fish that start with 'S'

There is quite an interesting article about shrimps here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrimp

Hope your weekend is going well.

All the best Jan

Lowcarb team member said...

Denise
Many thanks for your comment.
To repeat your words " Looks great. I love scallops " ... I think you should try this recipe soon!

Happy Weekend Wishes

All the best Jan