Scallops Grenobloise

À la grenobloise — sauced with browned butter, lemon, capers and parsley — is one of our favorite ways to enjoy seared sea scallops.

It’s also quick and pretty easy. You want to get a nice sear on the scallops, and half of that battle is choosing the right ones. Be sure to choose dry-pack scallops (also known as dry scallops). These are scallops in their natural state. Unlike “wet” scallops, they have not been soaked in a sodium tripolyphosphate bath. Wet scallops will not sear; they’ll just get rubbery. (If you’re unsure what you’re looking at while at the fish counter, those that have been treated are usually very white. You want the ones that are fresh-looking and fleshy, with some color variation.) Best is to shop at a fishmonger that does not sell chemically treated fish, such as Whole Foods.

Have all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking, so you can focus on searing the scallops nicely. It’s helpful to have plates warming in the oven. You’ll need a large nonstick skillet, or two medium nonstick skillets. You might notice that the dish doesn’t get any salt other than a sprinkle of Maldon salt at the end; it shouldn’t need more than that, as the capers are salty.

If you’re intimidated by cutting a lemon into suprêmes, you can instead cut the lemon into very thin rounds, peel and all, and cut those rounds into small pieces (about 1/2 inch / 13 mm).

Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 medium lemon

16 sea scallops (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds / 680 to 794 grams)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons capers, drained

3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

Freshly ground pepper

Maldon or other flaky salt for finishing

Instructions

1. Cut the lemon into suprêmes (pith-free segments): Use a sharp knife to cut a flat base on the bottom of the lemon. Set the lemon down on the base, and cut the peel off in strips (cutting through the pith so juicy flesh is exposed). Slice off any stray bits of pith. Now, holding the lemon in your hand, carefully free the segments by using the knife to slice along the membranes. Discard the membranes and cut each suprême into three or four pieces. Set aside.

2. Turn the oven to its lowest setting and place four dinner plates inside to warm, along with another large plate or quarter sheet-pan.

3. Dry the scallops with paper towels and place them in a small bowl with the olive oil. Toss to coat with the oil.

4. Heat the skillet or skillets over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, press a scallop on one of its flat sides on the pan. It should sizzle — if it doesn’t, the pan isn’t yet hot enough; wait a minute before placing it. Place the rest of the scallops on the pan to sear. Don’t move them; let them sear about two or two and a half minutes, then gently check the underside. If it doesn’t have nice browning, leave it another minute or so. Once they are browned, carefully turn them over and sear on the other side. Once the scallops are seared on both sides, they should be done cooking — total cooking time should be about 5 or 6 minutes, depending on how thick they are. (Look at their sides — they should be mostly opaque, though a little translucence is OK.) Transfer the scallops to the warmed large plate or quarter sheet-pan and cover loosely with foil.

4. Put the butter in the pan (if you were using two pans, just use one now) and melt it over medium heat. Let it cook, swirling it around now and then, until it is light brown and smells like hazelnuts, about 4 or 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, then stir in the capers. Add the lemon suprèmes and a few grinds of pepper and gently stir to combine. Remove the foil from the scallops, and if any liquid has accumulated on the plate, stir that into the sauce.

5. Remove the dinner plates from the oven and place four scallops on each. Use a spoon to drizzle a quarter of the sauce over the scallops on each plate, then scatter parsley over each. Finish the scallops with a few flakes of Maldon salt and serve immediately.