Pan fried scallops with white wine garlic sauce is an easy and delicious recipe, perfect for a quick healthy meal, a date night in, or special occasion. Serve with cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles or your favorite starchy veg to soak up the sauce and a side of greens like spring mix or over creamy mushroom risotto for a richer restaurant worthy dinner.
Scallops are widely considered one of the healthiest seafoods. Made up of 80% protein and sporting a low fat content, they can help you feel fuller longer and are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are also a great source of antioxidants. These nutrients protect your body against cell damage linked with a range of chronic diseases.
In traditional East Asian medicine, scallops are used as a treatment for conditions like diabetes and indigestion. Modern research also studies scallop proteins for their potential use in antitumor drugs and cancer treatments.
While this research is ongoing, many studies have found that scallops’ nutritional content can offer health benefits. Fresh scallops should be available during the fishing season in your area, but they’re available frozen at most supermarkets year-round. I used wild-caught frozen scallops from Target in this recipe and they came out great.
You can substitute the avocado oil for olive oil and or butter, but I find avocado oil is most agreeable for my tummy these days so that is what I used in this recipe.
I also used Dry Farm Wines Sauvignon Blanc, however, a Pinot Grigio is great for this recipe too. Really any white wine will do, but I love Dry Farms Wines because they are super clean and low in sugar.
I also used my go-to nontoxic cookware from Chef’s Foundry. I love their non-stick pans that are teflon and chemical free and the fact that the handles are removable for easy storage!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!!
INGREDIENTS
- Scallops -wild caught.
- Avocado oil.
- Salt and pepper.
- Garlic. – minced garlic
- ⅓ cup White wine.
- Lemon juice. (Juice of 1-2 lemons)
- Parsley or paprika
To serve: serve over cauliflower rice, asparagus, and mushrooms
HOW TO PAN FRY SCALLOPS
- How to cook frozen scallops: Thaw frozen scallops in the fridge overnight. Remove from packaging, drain any liquid then pat dry with paper towels. If you don’t dry the scallops they won’t sear and form that beautiful golden exterior.
- Seared scallops: Drizzle the scallops with avocado oil and season with salt and pepper (and paprika/parsley optional)
- Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the scallops using tongs, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. If you add too many scallops they will steam instead of fry. Cook the scallops for 2-3 minutes per side, depending on their size, until they are golden brown on both sides. Remove and set aside.
- Make the sauce: Mix the garlic, lemon juice and white wine together then pour into the same pan where you cooked the scallops. Allow to come to a simmer and reduce for 3-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Add the scallops back in the pan to warm. Use a spoon to dress the scallops with the sauce.
- Serve with riced cauliflower, roasted asparagus and mushrooms, and spring mix as I did, or serve over lightly sauteed zucchini noodles, white rice or mushroom risotto.
HOW LONG TO COOK SCALLOPS
So many people I talk to are afraid to cook fish, but it is actually super simple and fast!!!
Scallops are a quick-cooking protein, like all shellfish. Depending on their size, they should take no more than 2-3 minutes per side. Scallops are cooked when the flesh is milky white throughout and opaque. The internal temperature will read 54ºC/130ºF on a meat thermometer.
