Brown Butter Scallops with Asparagus Risotto

We went through a phase during COVID when I’d drive down to this adorable little seafood market across from the beach and spend too much money on things like ahi tuna steaks (which I’d either sear in a soy-miso marinade or chop up into a tartar along with avocado and sesame seeds) and fresh jumbo scallops. This was lovely, and made it feel like we were having a restaurant experience even though we weren’t, and also quite expensive (albeit less expensive than ordering such things at an actual restaurant).

I’ve loved scallops since I first tried them done the right way (that is, quick-seared in brown butter) many years earlier, but find that they’re one of those things that you need to just keep an eye out for at the supermarket, and grab when they look good. This is a place where freshness and quality really matters.

Anyways, the scallops looked good yesterday. And over on IG you guys said you wanted the recipe, so: ta da!

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What You Need:

• 4-5 jumbo scallops per person

• 5-6 tbsp butter

• Salt & pepper

What You Do:

1. Lay the scallops on a plate in a single layer. Pat dry on both sides, then season with sea salt and cracked fresh pepper.

2. Heat a tablespoon of butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Working in batches (and adding more butter between batches if necessary) sear the scallops for 1-2 minutes on each side. Keep the seared ones warm while you cook the rest.

3. Heat another 3-4 tbsp of butter in the pan until foaming, then return scallops to the pan and cook another minute or so, spooning the butter over the top. Serve immediately.

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What You Need:

• 1 yellow onion, finely diced

• 3 stalks celery, finely diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 cups arborio rice

• 6-8 cups chicken or vegetable broth

• 1 bunch asparagus, preferably thin, tough ends removed and cut into 1” pieces

• 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

• Optional: shaved pecorino, lemon zest

What You Do:

1. Heat the broth and let simmer.

2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat a little olive oil and cook a diced yellow onion, and a couple of finely diced stalks of celery until softened. Add a couple of cloves of minced garlic and cook another minute or so.

3. Add the rice to the pot and toast, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.

4. Working 1 cup at a time, add the broth to the rice, stirring constantly until the broth is fully absorbed before adding more (it should take about 20-25 minutes total). For the last five or so minutes, add the asparagus. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Optional: Add a little shaved pecorino or lemon zest.

x

J