📍 Where this dish comes from: Brittany (Bretagne)
Discover the history of this region →
Discover the history of this region →
The aristocrat of French shellfish — hand-dived scallops seared in a blistering hot pan until caramel-golden on each side, finished with a Normandy butter sauce perfumed with Calvados and thyme. The contrast between the golden-crusted exterior and the barely translucent, sweet interior is one of the great textures in all of cooking.
What You’ll Need
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 320kcal
Ingredients
- 16 large king scallops roe removed, patted bone-dry
- 2 tbsp clarified butter or neutral oil
- Salt and white pepper
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter Calvados butter
- 2 shallots finely diced Calvados butter
- 50 ml dry cider or white wine Calvados butter
- 1 tbsp Calvados (optional) Calvados butter
- 100 ml heavy cream Calvados butter
- fresh thyme Calvados butter
- Micro herbs and lemon to garnish
Instructions
- Make Calvados butter: sweat shallots in 1 tbsp butter 5 minutes. Add cider, reduce by half. Add Calvados and flame. Add cream and thyme. Simmer until coating consistency. Swirl in remaining butter. Season. Keep warm.
- Heat a heavy-based pan over very high heat until smoking.
- Pat scallops completely dry. Season just before cooking.
- Add clarified butter to the hot pan. Immediately add scallops.
- Sear 90 seconds without moving — a golden crust must form. Flip.
- Cook 60–90 seconds more. Remove immediately — they should spring back slightly when pressed.
- Arrange on warm plates, pour Calvados butter around. Garnish with micro herbs and lemon.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 320kcal | Protein: 28g | Fat: 18g
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Health Benefits
- Scallops are high in B12 and taurine, nutrients important for nervous system health.
- The brief searing helps preserve scallops’ heat-sensitive omega-3 fatty acids.
- Scallops provide glycine, an amino acid involved in collagen synthesis.
Pairs Well With
- Ratatouille Provençale
- Céleri Rémoulade Keto