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These Scallops Beurre Blanc are one of my favorite recipes on the Food My Muse archives. They are so flavorful and easy to make. Scallops are so versatile, they go well with so many different things, but this sauce is one of my favorite sauces to pair them with.
Full disclosure, the sauce is NOT a true beurre blanc. The whole point of a beurre blanc is that it is a very delicate sauce that has a very light color and subtle taste. It is usually just shallots, white wine, white wine vinegar that you reduce to almost nothing and then you emulsify butter in, quite a bit of butter actually. In this case, I used the same pan I seared the scallops in to make my sauce. I also added a lot of things that don’t normally go in a beurre blanc, hence the name…Dirty Beurre Blanc.
One of the most common requests I get is how to cook scallops properly. A lot of people shy away from cooking them when in reality they are truly one of the easiest proteins to cook. However, there are some tips that will help you get them right every single time, and I am sharing below!
Why You’ll Love Ginger Scallops
These pan seared scallops with ginger dirty beurre blanc is a flavor packed dish that is impossible to resist. Searing the scallops on a hot pan forms a perfectly caramelized crust that is to die for and I’m going to be giving you all the tips to make that sear perfect! The ginger adds a really nice warm and zesty flavor. Paired with the butter and the “dirty” sake, guys, I promise you are going to love it.
How To Prepare Ginger Scallops
🪭 Remove the scallop foot and pat dry. *Hot Tip* Use a fan or a cool hair dryer on the scallops for a minute, trust me.
🧂 Season with salt and pepper.
🫒 Preheat the pan, add olive oil and sear the scallops on medium-high for 3-4 minutes on one side, then 1 minute on the other.
🫚 Then, in the same pan, cool scallions, ginger, sake and mirin, reduce by 3/4.
🧈 Turn off heat, add tamari and cold butter. Emulsify.
🍋 Serve scallops over the sauce with lemon zest, salsa macha and scallion greens.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you don’t have salsa macha, no problem! You can just use chili crisps in its place.
- If you can’t find mirin, it’s okay to just substitute it with more saki.
- If you want to make this dairy-free you can easily swap the butter for vegan butter and you’ve got it!
- If you love this and you want to try a recipe that is a little more complicated, try my spicy scallops.
Chef Nadia’s Tips
- Buy ‘dry’ scallops, this means they are not previously injected with water and sodium tripolyphosphate. You want dry scallops because they develop a nice hard sear when you cook them as opposed to wet scallops that release that liquid while cooking.
- Always make the surface is very dry. You can let them sit in the fridge uncovered for one hour. Another option is use a hair dryer on cool or a portable fan to draw excess moisture out. This will help develop a nice crust while searing.
- When searing, DON’T mess with them. That will help them develop that nice golden crust.
- My restaurant secret to getting that beautiful hard sear without overcooking is searing longer on one side and taking them out before they are fully cooked. As they rest, they will continue cooking.
- Don’t overcook them or they will be rubbery.
- If you buy frozen, look for IQF which means they are individually quick frozen to preserve their freshness and quality.
Similar Recipes
Ginger Scallops
Ingredients
- 1 lb U-10 scallops
- 2 scallions, separate white and green part
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1/3 cup mirin
- 3 tbsp sake
- 1 lemon
- salsa macha or chili crisp
Instructions
- Cut off the foot of the scallop and pat dry really well.
- Take a fan or a hair dryer on cool and pass it through the scallops for about a minute on cool.
- Season scallops with salt and pepper or seasoned salt.
- Preheat a pan on high for 2 minutes. Add a bit of olive oil and sear scallops on medium high for 3-4 minutes on one side, flip, and sear for another minute. If they are small scallops sear for less time. Remove from pan.
- In that pan drizzle a touch more olive oil and add the white part of scallions, your ginger, sake and mirin. Reduce by 3/4. Turn heat off. Add in tamari and cold butter. Emulsify.
- Serve the scallops over the sauce with lemon zest, salsa macha and green part of scallions and that is it!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.