Seared Scallops With Escarole Salad (Printer-friendly)

Golden scallops with crisp escarole and vibrant pesto vinaigrette, ready in just 30 minutes for elegant dining.

# What You Need:

→ Scallops

01 - 16 large sea scallops, patted dry
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Escarole Salad

04 - 1 large head escarole, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
08 - 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

→ Pesto Vinaigrette

09 - 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
11 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
12 - 1 teaspoon honey
13 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Steps:

01 - In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, lemon juice, olive oil, and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, combine escarole, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Drizzle with approximately half of the pesto vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Top with shaved Parmesan and pine nuts.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add scallops in a single layer. Sear without moving for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes until just opaque in the center. Do not overcook.
04 - Divide the salad among 4 plates. Top each with 4 scallops. Drizzle with remaining pesto vinaigrette and serve immediately.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It delivers restaurant quality elegance without requiring any fancy techniques or hard to find ingredients.
  • The pesto vinaigrette does double duty, adding bright herby flavor to both the salad and the scallops.
  • Everything cooks so quickly that you can have this on the table in thirty minutes flat, perfect for busy weeknights.
  • The contrast between the warm, golden scallops and the cool, crisp escarole makes every bite interesting.
02 -
  • Wet scallops will never get a good crust, so always pat them completely dry with paper towels and let them sit at room temperature for ten minutes before searing.
  • Overcrowding the pan drops the temperature and causes scallops to steam instead of sear, so work in batches if necessary.
  • Scallops go from perfectly cooked to rubbery in seconds, so pull them off the heat as soon as the centers turn opaque.
03 -
  • Use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet if you want an even better crust, just make sure it's screaming hot before the scallops go in.
  • If your pesto vinaigrette breaks or looks separated, add a teaspoon of warm water and whisk vigorously to bring it back together.
  • Save the tender inner leaves of the escarole for the salad and use the tougher outer leaves in soups or sautés so nothing goes to waste.
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