The Secret to Perfectly Seared Scallops and an Asparagus Risotto Recipe
Nothing pains me more than when I see an overcooked scallop or an anemic-looking scallop, especially here on the east coast. So today, I'm actually going to show you how to perfectly sear that scallop. And on top of that, we're going to serve it with a simple and easy asparagus risotto.
The star of the show is the scallop. Whether you call it scallop or "scallopee," I'm going to show you a few foolproof ways to get that beautiful sear on a scallop. No more rubbery, overcooked scallops!
But before we dive into the scallops, let's talk about the risotto. A lot of us are scared of making risotto, but it's really not that hard. We're going to use beautiful arborio rice, fresh asparagus, shallots, and a delicious white wine from Nova Scotia to deglaze. Did you know that Nova Scotia has an amazing wine industry? And our wines pair incredibly well with seafood.
Alright, let's get started with the risotto. Melt some butter in a pan and sauté some thinly sliced shallots until they're sweating. Add the arborio rice and sauté until it turns translucent. Deglaze with white wine and slowly start adding warm vegetable stock, ladle by ladle, while stirring. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the rice is creamy and al dente. Add raw asparagus and grated asiago cheese, and let everything come together. Garnish with herbs and lemon zest if desired.
Now, onto the scallops. Make sure your scallops are cleaned and dry. Heat a non-stick pan with canola oil and sear the scallops for about a minute on each side until they have a nice sear on the edges. The key is to not touch them too much!
To serve, plate the risotto topped with the perfectly seared scallops. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt. Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!
This dish is a real taste of spring and can be easily customized to your liking by adding different ingredients to the risotto. Have fun experimenting and leave your comments to let us know how you personalize this recipe. Happy cooking!
Ingredients:
- Scallops
- Butter
- Shallots
- Arborio rice
- Asparagus
- Asiago cheese
- White wine
- Vegetable stock
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh herbs
- Lemon zest
Cooking steps:
- Clean and dry the scallops.
- Melt butter in a pan and sauté thinly sliced shallots until they're sweating.
- Add arborio rice and sauté until translucent.
- Deglaze with white wine and slowly add warm vegetable stock, stirring frequently.
- Cook for about 10-15 minutes until the rice is creamy and al dente.
- Add raw asparagus and grated asiago cheese. Let everything come together.
- Heat a non-stick pan with canola oil. Sear the scallops for about a minute on each side until they have a nice sear on the edges.
- Plate the risotto and top with the perfectly seared scallops.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon zest.
- Enjoy!
