Scallops with Pea Puree
Seared scallops on a smooth pea puree made with butter, mint and a little cream.
Photograph credit: Mushy peas, scallops by RitaE · Pixabay Content License · Pixabay
Scallops with Pea Puree: Step by Step
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Boil the peas for 3 minutes, drain and blend with the butter for the puree, mint, cream and half the salt until smooth. Keep warm.
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Pat the scallops very dry and season with the remaining salt.
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Heat the oil until shimmering and sear the scallops for 90 seconds without moving.
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Turn, add the butter and cook for 60 seconds more.
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Spoon the puree onto warm plates and top with the scallops.
Things to Watch For
- Dry the scallops thoroughly.
- Use a very hot pan.
- Do not move them while they sear.
- Serve at once on warm plates.
Common Substitutions & Variations
- In a sauce, full-fat crème fraîche can usually take the place of the double cream; single cream is thinner and more likely to split if it boils, so keep it below a simmer.
Good to Know About Scallops with Pea Puree
Dry the scallops, heat the pan until it smokes and then leave them alone. That is the whole technique, and it is where most attempts go wrong.
Pat each scallop dry with kitchen paper, because a wet scallop steams in the pan and turns pale and rubbery. Season just before cooking. Heat the oil until it shimmers, add the scallops with space between them and cook for 90 seconds without moving, until a deep gold crust forms. Do not poke them. Turn, add the butter and cook for another 60 seconds.
For the puree, boil the peas for 3 minutes, drain, and blend with the butter, mint, cream and salt until smooth. Warm it before serving.
Spoon the puree on warm plates and set the scallops on top. They wait for no one. Ask the fishmonger for dry-packed scallops, as those soaked in water release liquid and refuse to brown.
What to Serve It With
Crispy bacon · Lemon wedges · Rocket salad · Dry white wine
Keeping Scallops with Pea Puree
Best eaten straight away. Do not keep seafood leftovers.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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