My mother’s Maritime roots meant that scallops were an occasional midweek meal. As an adult, I would struggle with cooking scallops until our friend Chef Matt DeMille set me straight. His instructions were simple: “Brine them for a few minutes in salt water.” This removes the guesswork from cooking them and makes them easier to sear without overcooking.
The gastrique can be made with 2 Tbsp (30 mL) of any jam instead of apple slices, or you may wish to add a bit of infused booze for more flavour. Both would be added at the same time as the lemon zest and honey.
Broiled Scallops with Apple Gastrique
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) loosely packed dried apple slices
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) honey
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) Apple Scrap Vinegar, or store-bought apple cider vinegar
- Pinch of coarse salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) coarse salt
- 1 1/2 lb (750 g) bay scallops
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, chilled
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon yield)
- 3/4 tsp (4 mL) chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
- Black pepper, to taste
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories347
- protein44g
- fat8g
- saturated fat4g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates22g
- sugars21g
- fibre1g
- sodium532mg
Directions
01
To make gastrique:
Roughly chop dried apples and place in small pot. Add lemon zest and honey and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until honey darkens.
Add vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Lightly simmer, uncovered, until thickened into syrup, 15 to 20 minutes.
To make scallops:
Preheat oven broiler to 500 F (260 C).
Sprinkle salt over scallops and add just enough cold water to barely cover them. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes, and no more than 20 minutes.
While scallops brine, melt butter with lemon juice in small pot over medium-low heat.
Strain scallops and rinse well. Gently toss scallops in melted butter mixture. Place on baking tray, leaving space between them so they don’t touch.
Broil for 3 minutes, then gently shake pan to toss them. You can flip them individually, but I don’t think it’s worth the effort. Broil for 3 more minutes and remove from oven. Let rest for 4 minutes.
Spread gastrique on serving plate and put scallops on top. Garnish with parsley and black pepper.
Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison
Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison are co-authors of Batch: Over 200 Recipes, Tips and Techniques for a Well Preserved Kitchen
