Pan seared scallops in a saffron butter sauce. Garnished with chopped parsley and toasted flaked almonds. Fancy dishes don't come more luxurious than this.
And to top it off, it basically takes five minutes to make and you're done. The only thing you have to do is lose the fear factor if you've never cooked scallops before.
For some reason, people taking part in cooking competitions on TV always make scallops. But that doesn't mean you can't make them in the middle of the week.
They're a bit pricey compared to other seafood, though you can always use frozen scallops to cut down on costs.
Ingredients
Source the freshest scallops you can find from your fishmonger and kindly ask them to nicely take off the 'foot', which is the orange bit that comes with it.
The only other ingredients you need are:
- Saffron threads
- Butter
- Parsley
- Flaked almonds
Instructions
Here are the simple steps you need to follow:
Make the saffron butter and lightly toast the flaked almonds
Wash and season the scallops
Pan fry 2-3 minutes each side, drizzle on saffron butter
Garnish with some parsley and flaked almonds
Top Tips
The most important tip is to not to overdo the saffron or it will overpower the whole dish. This is a case of less is more.
I used less than five saffron strands for a tablespoon of butter and had some left over, which I refrigerated and spread over fresh bread the next day.
If you have a saffron grinder use that. Alternatively, pound the saffron with a pestle and mortar and mix in slightly salted butter.
I always use slightly salted butter for everything.
Next, make sure you season the scallops well. The black pepper will balance the sweetness of the scallops and the saffron.
Heat up a pan on medium high heat and hover your hand over to 'feel' the heat.
You only need to pan-sear them 2-3 minutes on each side and then add the butter to baste them for another minute or so.
Variations
I can easily see the same dish being made with shrimp (prawns) and also mussels.
If you can't afford saffron, use a tiny pinch of turmeric with the butter for a similar golden effect.
You could also make a lemony butter, which sounds dreamy.
📖 Recipe
Scallops in Saffron Butter
Pan seared scallops in saffron butter sauce, garnished with parsley and flaked almonds
Ingredients
- 6 scallops
- 1 tablespoon slightly salted butter
- 3-4 saffron threads
- small handful flaked almonds
- few parsley leaves finely chopped
- salt and coarse black pepper
- mild olive oil
Instructions
-
Lightly toast the flaked almonds in a pan. Remove and set aside
-
To make the saffron butter, pound the saffron threads in a bowl and mix in the butter well
-
Wash and drain the scallops. Season well with salt and black pepper
-
Heat up the pan on medium high heat for around five minutes
-
Pan sear the scallops for 2-3 minutes on each side
-
Add a tablespoon of the butter and baste for the last minute of cooking
-
Transfer to a plate and garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and flaked almonds.
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Dina
Saffron butter looks so scrumptious