Grapefruit Rosé Scallops in Brown Butter
A fun way to serve scallops - bright and creamy with a deeply flavored sauce from grapefruit, shallots, Rosé and brown butter. Essential for dinner parties, fun for date night and a super excuse for a girly Sunday dinner. Serve with an arugula salad on the side and extra Rosé.
A recipe dedicated to Cher Horowitz from Clueless with a nod to the low-fat diet fad with the use of grapefruit and scallops (but not really putting that low-fat stuff to use) as there’s brown butter emulsified into the sauce and creme fraiche to lend creaminess.
Ingredients:
12 scallops
big pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed yet in tact
Grapefruit Rose Brown Butter Sauce:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 shallot, diced
pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 grapefruit
3 tbsp Rosé wine
2 tbsp creme fraiche
1 tsp seeded mustard
10g chives, thinly sliced
Method:
Prepare the scallops: if the scallops are frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge and pat completely dry before cooking. If fresh, pat dry with a paper towel on both sides. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
Prepare the grapefruit: we will use the single grapefruit to juice and add to the sauce and as a garnish. First, segment the grapefruit by slicing off the top and bottom. Now that it sits evenly on a cutting board, slice off the rind all around the grapefruit. Slice a segment from the grapefruit by cutting along the white dividers, so you just want some of the grapefruit flesh. Slice about 1/4 of the grapefruit into segmented pieces and juice the remaining just by squeezing with your hands into a bowl. Roughly chop the grapefruit flesh so the pieces are small. Add to a bowl and set aside.
Sear the scallops: bring a frying pan to medium-low heat, add 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Once the butter is bubbling, add scallops to the pan, leaving about one inch apart from one another. Sear on the first side for 5-7 minutes, or until you see the golden crust forming on the bottom. It’s important to leave them alone for those first 5 minutes so they develop a really nice crust while they are in contact with the pan. Flip and turn the heat down to low. Add garlic cloves and tilt the pan so the butter and oil collect at the bottom, spooning the butter over the scallops. Lay the pan back flat and sear the scallops for 3-4 minutes, or until the same golden crust forms on the second side. Once this is accomplished, remove from heat.
Make the sauce: bring a small frying pan to medium heat and add 3 tbsp butter. Once it bubbles, add shallot, salt and pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add Rosé and cook off for 3-4 minutes so the alcohol evaporates but the flavor remains. Add grapefruit juice, stir to combine. Reduce for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and add creme fraiche and mustard and whisk in to create a perfectly creamy sauce.
To serve: either plate the scallops individually with 2 spoonfuls of sauce underneath each scallop, or plate all together on a serving platter. Add the grapefruit sauce underneath, scallops on top, grapefruit pieces over each scallop and chives to finish. Enjoy straight away!
