Shelly's Recipe

CARAMELIZED SCALLOPS WITH WHITE WINE

Category: Fish and Seafood

12 large scallops
4 tablespoons clarified butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
6 chives, chopped (plus a few for garnish (optional))

Check each of your scallops for a small crescent-shaped muscle that may be attached on the side. If you find one, just peel it off with your fingers - it is easily removed. (This muscle toughens during cooking.)

Rinse the scallops and dry them thoroughly. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Spread the sugar in a thin layer on a plate.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the clarified butter - when it starts to foam, you are ready to add the scallops. Dip one side of each scallop in the sugar and place that side down in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until nicely seared. Flip and scallops and cook for another minute. Add the wine and lemon juice to the pan. Reduce the liquid by half.

Serve the scallops with the pan sauce and garnish with the parsley, chives and lemon zest.

Clarified Butter
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Place the butter in a heavy saucepan and melt slowly over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Skim the foam from the top, and slowly pour into a container, discarding the milky solids in the bottom of pan.

What makes clarified butter so great is its higher smoke point. This means you can cook meats and fish at a higher temperature than you can with regular butter, making it ideal for pan-frying. By clarifying the butter during a slow cooking process, you're able to strain out the milk solids that burn quickly as well as the water and salt. You'll lose about 1/4 of your original butter amount during the process, and the clarified butter will keep, tightly covered in the refrigerator for about 1 month.