scallops with carrot butter and crispy capers
These scallops get a simple sauce of butter, carrot juice, and citrus, with crispy capers on top. Frying the little buds in olive oil is a trick I owe to my good pal and old boss, the famed Canadian chef Chuck Hughes.
ingredients
for the crispy capers
Olive oil for shallow-frying
3 tablespoons capers, drained and patted dry
for the scallops
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
1¼ cups fresh carrot juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dry sea scallops, rinsed, tough muscles removed, and patted dry
Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or tarragon for garnish
steps
For the capers: Line a plate with paper towels. Pour ½ inch of oil into a small skillet and heat over medium-high heat until very hot and shimmering but not smoking. Carefully add the capers (the oil will splatter a bit) and fry until the edges are puffed up and lightly golden, 30 to 60 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the capers to the paper towels to drain.
For the scallops: Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into cubes and return to the refrigerator. In a small saucepan, bring the carrot juice to a low boil over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half, 10 to 12 minutes. Reduce to a simmer, then whisk in the chilled butter one cube at a time, whisking constantly and allowing each cube to completely blend in with the sauce before adding the next. Whisk in the orange juice, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a generous pinch of pepper. Remove from the heat.
Lightly season the scallops with salt on both sides. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat until melted and foaming. Add the scallops and cook, tipping the pan to the side so the butter pools and basting the scallops with the butter, until a golden crust forms along the lower edges of each one, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the scallops are just cooked through, 30 seconds to 1 minute more. (They should be golden brown on their tops and bottoms but still a bit undercooked and somewhat creamy in the very center.)
Transfer the scallops to serving plates, drizzle with the carrot butter, and garnish with the crispy capers and chopped herbs.
✨ Tip: Look for scallops labeled “dry,” also called diver scallops. “Wet” scallops (usually not labeled as such) are preserved in a solution of water and chemicals, which dilutes their natural flavor and makes them heavier (and therefore more expensive). And it leaches out during cooking, steaming them, so they don’t sear. Most scallops have a tough little muscle attached. Pull off and discard before cooking.
