Pan Seared Scallops with Raspberry Gastrique

Elevate your romantic, at-home date night by serving Pan Seared Scallops with Raspberry Gastrique. This entree looks and sounds fancy, but is incredibly easy to make. Makes 4 small servings.

Love having date night at home? You need to check out Date Night at Home, as well as Date Night At Home Ideas: Takeout Food + Drink!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And I don’t know about y’all, but instead of arranging a fancy pants restaurant dinner (and childcare for said evening), my husband and I stick to at-home Valentine’s date night.

We’ve been doing this for years, and this year, we’re shaking it up with SCALLOPS in a sweet-and-sour sauce that sounds fancy but is actually super simple to make.

Why I love this recipe:

These Pan Seared Scallops with a Raspberry Gastrique are adapted from a recipe I received during a cooking class I attended in Hattiesburg, Miss. My mom got me a ticket to the cooking class as a birthday present, and I still have the recipes we made that night!

However, I learned how to make a blueberry gastrique that evening, and in preparation for Valentine’s Day, I wanted to change this recipe up with raspberries.

The combination of raspberries in the gastrique leads to a delicious sweet-tart-acidic punch. And when paired with the decadent, buttery pan seared scallops that taste mildly like the sea and have a beautiful golden crust on the exterior and a soft interior… well… this is date night done right!

(Please note that this recipe doesn’t have a pan sauce that involves white wine or fresh herbs because the scallops are served in the gastrique, so if you’re looking for that, you need to head elsewhere.)

This seared scallops recipe is special, and it’s one we trot out a few times a year for special occasions and when we’re feeling fancy. However, while it looks complicated, I promise that cooking scallops in your kitchen is actually something you can do… and I break it all down here.

Other dishes you might want to serve for an at-home Valentine’s Day: Cast Iron Ribeye (or Broiled Steak) | Spinach Madeline | Homemade Mashed Potatoes | Vegan Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts

What you need to make this recipe:

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• Saucepan
• A large skillet or a nonstick skillet
• Tongs

In addition to these tools, you’ll need a few simple ingredients, as well:

• White vinegar — this is the acid we need to make the gastrique. There is no substitute.
• Seedless raspberry preserves — if you have the kind that’s got seeds, you’ll need a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. It’s a hassle, but can be done if absolutely necessary. We just really don’t want seeds in our gastrique.
• Granulated sugar — also known as white sugar, this adds sweetness to the gastrique and helps balance it out.
• Scallops — personally, I like to use sea scallops, which are larger than bay scallops, for recipes that involve searing because their surface area is larger. The key is getting good quality scallops from your local fishmonger or grocery store.
• Kosher salt and black pepper — medium grain kosher salt is my favorite (Diamond Crystal is my go-to brand) and freshly cracked black pepper adds so much flavor.
• Fats — we sear the scallops in a combination of extra virgin olive oil and unsalted butter.

How to make a Gastrique

You want to make this in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Combine the vinegar, preserves and sugar, and season ’em with a dash of salt.

Bring the ingredients to a boil, then lower the heat and reduce by half. When that’s happened, remove the gastrique sauce from the heat, cover and set aside for later.

How to make Seared Scallops

How to prepare the scallops

Pinch the adductor muscle, which is the little tag on the side of the scallop, with your finger. It should pull away easily. While these muscles are safe to eat, they are tougher than that of the rest of the scallop.

Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel. We want them to be really dry because otherwise, the extra moisture will splatter when we add them to the pan. Additionally, this will make it hard to get a nice sear if thre is too much moisture in the skillet.

Season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.

Cook the Scallops

First thing, melt the butter in a skillet (a nonstick or a cast-iron skillet) over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the oil, too. We want the fat to be screaming hot, so test the heat by sprinkling a few water droplets into the skillet. If it sizzles, it’s time to cook the scallops.

Place each scallop into the pan, giving space to each one in a single layer so that the skillet is not overcrowded.

Cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Do not move the scallops once they are in the pan, so as to achieve a good sear.

Flip using tongs, and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. (If you’re a kitchen thermometer person, remove the scallops from the pan when they hit 115°F so they can continue cooking to 125-130°F. If you’re not, look for the scallops to be fully opaque on the sides.)

Please note that I use larger sea scallops. If you’re using smaller bay scallops, your cook time will be shorter. You do not want to overcook the scallops or they could become rubbery.

When the scallops are golden brown on both sides and opaque, they’re done. They should be firm to the touch, but still have a little give. They will become chewy if overcooked, so please keep your eye on them and the time as you cook.

Ladle the gastrique onto the serving plates, and arrange the warm scallops over it. Serve immediately, and enjoy warm.

How to store:

If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a day.

You can learn how to reheat scallops here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips for Making PERFECT Pan Seared Scallops

• Your pan needs to be screaming hot!
• Pat those scallops dry! If they’ve still got some water on ’em, the fat will splatter when you place them in the pan.
• When placing the scallops in the pan, make sure each scallop has about 1″ of space around the edges. Overcrowding the pan will bring down the temperature, and it’s harder to cook lots and lots of scallops at the same time! Personally, I like to place 5-6 in my skillet at most.
• Once you place the scallops into the hot pan, don’t give in to temptation and move them. This will give the scallops a beautiful crust and golden brown color when you flip them.
• Only cook the scallops for 2-3 minutes at most on each side. Be sure not to overcook because they will become rubbery.
• The scallops will be opaque when they’re done.

Does this sound like something you’d like to make for an at-home romantic dinner?

Scroll on down to learn how you can make it…

Seared Scallops with Raspberry Gastrique

Erin Parker, The Speckled Palate

Elevate your romantic, at-home date night by serving Seared Scallops with Raspberry Gastrique. This entree looks and sounds fancy, but is incredibly easy to make. The gastrique is a simple sweet-and-sour sauce, made in this recipe by reducing raspberry preserves, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Sear the scallops over high heat, and serve over the reduced tart-and-sweet raspberry sauce. Make this easy but fancy romantic dish for date night!

4.98 from 48 votes

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Servings 4 servings

Calories 390 kcal

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

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Gastrique

• 1 cup white vinegar
• ¼ cup raspberry preserves seedless
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• A pinch of kosher salt

Scallops

• 1 ½ lbs. sea scallops patted dry
• Kosher salt and black pepper for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Equipment

• Iron handle skillet
• Wooden spoon
• Saucepan (3.5 qt.)
• Tongs

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

 

Make the Gastique

• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the vinegar, preserves and sugar. Season with the dash of salt.
• Bring to a boil, then lower to heat.
• Reduce the mixture by half, then cover and set aside.

Cook the Scallops

• Prepare the scallops: Pinch the side muscles, which are the little tags on the side of the scallop, with your fingers. They’ll pull away easily. While they’re safe to eat, they are tougher than that of the rest of the scallop. Pat dry and season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
• In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Drizzle in the olive oil, too. We want this to be super hot when you add the scallops, so test the heat by sprinkling a few water droplets into the skillet. If it sizzles, it’s cooking time.
• Cook the scallops in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan. Space them apart in the warm pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Do not move them. (Not moving the scallops will help them get that beautiful sear.)
• When the time is up, flip using tongs, and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side.
• When the scallops are golden brown on both sides and opaque, they’re done. They should be firm to the touch, but still have a little give. They will become chewy if overcooked, so please keep your eye on the timer as you cook them.
• Ladle the gastrique onto the serving plates, and arrange the warm scallops over it. Serve immediately, and enjoy warm.

Notes

Please note the total time includes multiple rounds of cooking scallops, not one. If you cook the scallops for 20 minutes, they WILL be overcooked.

If you’re still hesitant about cooking scallops, I found this tutorial from The Kitchn really informative and helpful.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 35gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 1416mgSugar: 22g

Keyword date night recipes, dinner, easy seared scallops, entree, homemade gastrique, how to sear scallops, restaurant-quality food at home, scallops, seafood

Course Entrees

Cuisine American

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