To me, bay scallops seam to be underrated as a seafood option. They are inexpensive but still have great seafood flavor. If you haven’t had them in a while, give them a try again in this recipe, lemon caper bay scallops with asparagus.
My only comment about bay scallops is that they release a lot of moisture when cooked, so they are difficult to get a sear on them like you can larger scallops.
That being said, the juices they release are flavorful and make a great pan sauce. I added white wine and cornstarch to thicken the sauce without compromising flavor.
Then, I used capers to add briny saltiness to the sauce. Finally, I finished the sauce with butter to emulsify, and fresh lemon juice to balance.
Variations to the Lemon Caper Bay Scallops with Asparagus recipe:
- Soak up all the delicious pan sauce by serving this dish over pasta, or with a side of rice or crusty bread.
- When asparagus is out of season, you can use any vegetable that will cook in the skillet in only 2-4 minutes. Try this dish with sweet peas, snow peas, broccoli, or cherry tomatoes, for example.
- Omit the white wine if your scallops release a ton of liquid. Instead, pull out 2 TBS liquid from the skillet to make a slurry with the cornstarch. The flavor of the lemon gets diluted if there is too much liquid, and you end up with more sauce than you need.
Lemon Caper Bay Scallops with Asparagus
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 2
Ingredients
- 8 oz bay scallops (thawed if frozen)
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup thin asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces, about 4 oz
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp cornstarch
- 2 TBS dry white wine
- 2 TBS capers, chopped
- Juice of ½ a lemon (1-2 TBS)
- 1 TBS unsalted butter
Instructions
- Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Season with a pinch of fresh ground black pepper.
- Gently heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add scallops, asparagus, and garlic to the skillet and cook 2-4 minutes. Flip the scallops once and cook until opaque. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Whisk cornstarch into the white wine and add to the juices in the skillet with the capers. Saute 1 minute, or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in fresh lemon juice and butter to emulsify. Pour the sauce over the scallops and asparagus. Serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from Eating Well.