I have not tried this recipe yet. I want to try it soon.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup scallions sliced
- -- for the scallops and sauce --
- 18 large sea scallops
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons shallots minced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter sliced
- 3 cups mushroom stock
- pinch cayenne
- -- for the crumb topping --
- Carbohydrate 33.9367084921015 g
- Cholesterol 89.3497916666667 mg
- Fat 18.7660854315798 g
- Fiber 2.29341546874977 g
- Protein 35.075239953186 g
- Saturated Fat 7.91696504487594 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (200g)
- Sodium 1085.3669064935 mg
- Sugar 31.6432930233518 g
- Trans Fat 1.88568905511543 g
- Calories 454 calories
Step-by-step
- Saute scallops in 1 Tbsp. oil in a saute pan over high heat until browned, 2-3 minutes per side. Work in batches, using additional oil if needed. Transfer three scallops each into six 6-ounce shallow broiler-proof ramekins; set aside.
- In the same pan used to saute scallops, sweat shallots and garlic, uncovered, in the remaining 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Cook until vegetables soften, 2-3 minutes. Increase heat to high. Deglaze the pan with wine and lemon juice; reduce until liquid is nearly evaporated. Once liquid is reduced, add butter, stirring until it melts.
- Whisk flour into melted butter; cook over medium heat until roux is golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk Mushroom Stock into roux until smooth. Cook until sauce boils, then stir occasionally to prevent sticking while sauce continues to boil and begins to thicken, 5-8 minutes. Simmer sauce 1 minute more to eliminate flour taste. Stir in scallions, cream, cayenne, salt, and black pepper.
- Combine panko, Parmesan, and parsley in a bowl. Preheat broiler to high with rack 6 inches below the heating element. Pour 1/3 - 1/2 cup sauce over scallops in each ramekin; sprinkle panko mixture over scallops and sauce in each ramekin.
- Broil scallops until crumb topping begins to brown, 3-5 minutes.
High heat searing creates volatile Maillard compounds on the surface of sea scallops by triggering amino acid and reducing sugar reactions before the interior overcooks. Achieving a deep golden crust requires dry scallop surfaces; residual surface moisture vaporizes at 100 degrees Celsius, steaming the flesh and preventing the necessary browning reactions. Patting the shellfish thoroughly dry with paper towels prior to pan contact ensures efficient thermal transfer.
Sauce Building and Starch Control
Building the velouté foundation relies on the correct gelatinization of starch molecules within the flour and butter roux. Whisking mushroom stock vigorously into the cooked flour prevents lump formation by dispersing starch granules uniformly through the hot liquid. Simmering the sauce for exactly one minute after it reaches a boil cooks out the raw amylase flavor while allowing amylose chains to properly hydrate and thicken the liquid.
- Pan crowding causes steam accumulation and prevents the 2-3 minute per side searing window from achieving proper crust formation.
- Broiler distance must remain fixed at 6 inches from the heating element to toast the panko and parmesan topping without burning the dairy solids.
- Sauce thickness depends entirely on maintaining a steady boil for 5 to 8 minutes to evaporate excess water content.
