Sautéed Scallops Stuffed With Basil

By Mark Bittman

Sautéed Scallops Stuffed With Basil
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(164)
Comments
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Use the biggest scallops you can find for this recipe. They’re easier to butterfly and more forgiving to cook (meaning that they take longer to overcook, which is the worst thing you can do here). If you happen to cut the scallops all the way through, sandwich them back together around the basil; scallops have enough gelatin to more or less stick to themselves. This recipe can also be made with pesto, but homemade pesto takes a bit of time, and the scallops cook in no time at all, so the pesto sort of slows the recipe down. A whole basil leaf serves the same purpose and is much quicker. Serve the scallops on a bed of mixed greens. Deglazing the pan with lemon juice is a nice touch; the warm dressing on cool greens is a treat. And you can use wine, stock, soy sauce or any number of other liquids to play around with the flavor of the dish as you like.

Featured in: Tangy Ways With Sea Scallops, Nature's Original Fast Food

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 20large fresh basil leaves
  • 1small clove garlic, peeled
  • ½teaspoon coarse salt
  • ¼teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1¼ to 1½pounds fairly uniform large sea scallops
  • 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 4 to 6cups mixed greens, washed and dried
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

208 calories; 11 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 20 grams protein; 624 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Mince the basil, garlic, salt and pepper together until very fine, almost a puree (or use a small food processor). Transfer to a small bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon olive oil to produce a thick paste.

  2. Step 2

    Cut most but not all of the way through the equator of each scallop; then, smear about ¼ teaspoon of the basil mixture on the exposed center; close the scallop.

  3. Step 3

    Place a large nonstick skillet over high heat for a minute; add the remaining oil, then the scallops, one at a time. Brown one side (it should take no longer than 1 or 2 minutes); then, turn it and brown the other.

  4. Step 4

    Place scallops on a bed of greens. Turn the heat to low, and add the lemon juice to the skillet. Cook, stirring, for about 10 seconds; then, pour the pan juices over the scallops and greens, and serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5
164 user ratings
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Comments

Andrea

Excellent- I made this recipe for a dinner party and the dish presentation on the serving platter was great. I deglazed the pan with some leftover white wine and there was not a bite left. The scallops stay warm for awhile so dish can be held aside too.

claypoint2

Wonderful recipe as written. I must disagree with the video, though, which suggests that making the pesto for the stuffing isn't worth the effort. I made the dish both ways (recipe & video), and the vote was unanimous: the scallops stuffed with the basil paste are much, much flavorful than the ones stuffed with the basil leaf only (salt & garlic added separately). In any case the pesto is very easy to make - I used a mini food processor - and more than worth the effort.

Nori

I always have pesto base in my freezer from the summer garden, frozen in ice cube trays without cheese (add that later) and with walnuts rather than pine nuts.

And dehydrated tomatoes from my garden. I might add some slivered dried tomatoes as a garnish.

Sea scallops in OR cost as much a pound as really much as primo beef tenderloin, so I usually limit a serving to 2 scallops, which is just right. They are so rich.

momo

I added an extra clove of garlic and probably more basil than the recipe called for, and it was a big hit. My son decided that using a couple of beautiful Romaine leaves on each plate rather than a bed of greens would be more pleasing to the eye. We did not use the warm sauce by mistake. However, STUFFED scallops were much appreciated. Will make again.

Claire Duncan

Great idea. For a quick recipe just use pesto (Costco has a great one) and red leaf lettuce with a sherry vinaigrette.

Keith

super easy and really good. did this the simple way with a single basil leaf in each scallop.

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