Blackened Scallops

Although I have tried many different ways to prepare scallops, this is, by far, my favorite 

way to cook them. Blackening is a quick-cooking technique developed by New Orleans 

chef Paul Prudhomme. The basic procedure is to dip food (any protein source, such as fish, steak or chicken) in melted butter, then dredge in a bold rub of Cajun herbs and spices, then flash-sear in a very hot cast-iron skillet. The method I prefer is adding a tad amount of olive oil to the hot skillet, instead of dipping in melted butter. This results in a peppery black crust, while keeping in all the juices. Don’t be alarmed at how black the spices turn; they’ll look burnt, but will taste amazing. This is better suited to grilling, as it produces a lot of smoke and spicy fumes. I, however, throw caution to the wind and prepare this indoors (with smoke alarms turned off, windows opened and doors ajar). That’s testimony to how utterly crazy I am awesome these scallops taste.

Don't forget to check out my Facebook page for the New Year countdown of Melding Magic's top 10 most viewed recipes for 2013. Number 5 will be posted today. (If you have not already done so, I would be so thrilled if you shared your FB love by "liking" my page.)

Combine spices (in resealable plastic bag, or small container). Shake well to thoroughly mix. Or, you can substitute store-bought blackening spice mix (if you must, but the flavors will not be as good as this home-made version).

Wash scallops. If present on scallops, remove tough side muscle. Drain on paper towels, then thoroughly dry with additional paper towels. You want scallops as dry as possible before searing.

Preheat oven to 350° F.
 
Heat a skillet over medium high heat (preferably a cast iron skillet).

Meanwhile, lightly dip your scallops in the blackening spice (just the flat side). If you really love spicy, then dip both sides of the scallops in spice mix (which is what I do). Set them on a plate until ready to add to skillet.

Once your pan is hot, coat it very lightly with oil. If skillet is hot enough, it should start smoking. Gently place your scallops in it, flat side down. You can place 6 to 8 scallops at a time in skillet, depending on the size of your skillet.)

Once they blacken on one side (which should happen by the time you place the last scallop in the pan), flip to blacken on the other side. Remove scallops and place in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Repeat until all scallops are blackened, adding another teaspoon of oil for each batch.

In small bowl (or large measuring cup) melt butter in microwave. Add garlic, lemon zest and lemon juice to melted butter, stirring well to combine. Pour over scallops.

Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes. No, this will not overcook the scallops, as blackening happens so fast, the scallops don’t have time to cook through. Trust me, this produces a very moist and tender scallop.

Serve with lemon slices. 

If grilling, use butter dredging method before dipping in spices. Beware of flame flare-ups. (I prefer putting a cast-iron skillet on side burner of grill and cooking the way I outlined above.)

BLACKENED SCALLOPS
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tablespoons paprika
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder,
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder,
• 1 Tablespoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 Tablespoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 Tablespoon white pepper
• 1/2 Tablespoon salt,
• 1/2 Tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (per batch of scallops seared)
• 2 pounds large sea scallops, muscles removed if necessary
• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Lemon slices, for serving            

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine spices (in zipper bag, or small container). Shake well to thoroughly mix.
3. Heat a skillet over medium high heat (preferably a cast iron skillet).
4. Meanwhile, lightly dip your scallops on the blackening spice, just the flat sides. Set them on a plate
    until ready to go into your pan. (Only put spice on one side if you prefer it less spicy.)
5. Once your pan is hot, coat it very lightly with oil then gently place your scallops in it, flat side down (6
    to 8 scallops at a time, depending on size of your skillet).
6. Once they blacken on one side (which should happen almost instantaneously), flip scallops to blacken
    on other side. Remove scallops and place in 13x9x2-in. baking dish. Repeat until all scallops are
    blackened.
7. In small bowl (or large measuring cup) melt butter in microwave. Add garlic, lemon zest and lemon
    juice to melted butter. Stir well to combine. Pour over scallops. Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 10
    minutes.
8. Serve with lemon slices.

Don’t forget to check out my Facebook page for New Year countdown of Melding Magic’s top 10 most viewed recipes for 2013. Number 6 will be posted today. (If you have not already done so, I would be so thrilled if you shared your FB love by “liking” my page.