Seared Coriander Scallops with Nori Brown Butter & Asparagus
Ground nori melts seamlessly into this elegant brown butter pan sauce, adding its signature earthy-salty flavor. The keys to browning butter without burning it are watching the pan carefully and swirling it often. The butter will melt and then start to foam, at which point you’ll notice the color change from yellow to golden brown. Take it off the heat as soon as it starts to smell nutty.
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Ingredients
- 2 sheets toasted nori seaweed, broken into small pieces (TRY: Emerald Cove Organic Kosher Silver Grade Pacific Untoasted [Hoshi] Nori)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 16 large sea scallops (about 1½ lb total), muscle removed (NOTE: For the most sustainable option, choose farmed sea scallops.)
- 1 tsp ground corriander
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 5 tbsp organic unsalted butter
- 4½ tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1½ lb asparagus, trimmed
Preparation
1. In a spice grinder or small food processor, pulse nori into powder, leaving some ¼-inch pieces intact. Transfer half of the nori powder to a small bowl; stir in sesame seeds and set aside for garnish. Reserve remaining nori powder for butter mixture.
2. Pat scallops dry with paper towel; sprinkle with coriander, salt and pepper. Mist a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high. Working in batches, add scallops and cook, turning once, until golden brown but still slightly translucent in centers, about 4 minutes for ½- to ¾-inch-thick scallops or 6 minutes for 1-inch-thick scallops. Transfer to a large plate; cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Turn off heat to skillet, leaving skillet on burner. Add butter; stir or swirl pan until melted, light brown and nutty, about 1 minute. (TIP: If butter doesn’t begin to brown, heat skillet on medium-low and cook until light brown and nutty.) Stir in lemon juice and plain nori powder (without seeds). Scrape into a separate small bowl; set aside.
4. Meanwhile, in a steamer basket set over a saucepan of boiling water, steam asparagus until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide among plates. Top with scallops, butter mixture and sesame seed mixture, dividing evenly.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1/4 of recipe
- Calories 280
- Carbohydrate Content 10 g
- Cholesterol Content 79 mg
- Fat Content 5 g
- Protein Content 23 g
- Saturated Fat Content 9 g
- Sodium Content 553 mg
- Sugar Content 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 5 g