Seared Scallops with Orange Sauce and Pasta #Recipe by @LeslieKarst

 

I absolutely adore scallops. (And yes, they're one of the dishes I cooked for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as described in my memoir Justice is Served: A Tale of SCALLOPS, the Law, and Cooking for RBG. 😀 )

Contrary to popular belief, scallops are one of the simplest foods to cook: You simply sear them quickly on each side and serve them with a pan sauce made with butter and the addition of whatever deglazing liquid strikes your fancy. This dish was inspired by the last of the season’s blood oranges on my tree, but would work just as well with regular oranges, or even grapefruit juice.

 

The trick is to not overcook the delectable scallops. Start with a very hot pan and fry them only long enough to brown, then flip and let them cook only another thirty seconds-to-a-minute. They should be warm throughout, but the center should be close to raw—otherwise they get tough. (If you use fresh rather than frozen scallops, simply add more of the pasta water at the end to make up for not having the juice from the thawed scallops.)

Seared Scallops with Orange Sauce and Pasta

(serves 2)

8 large scallops, frozen

salt, black pepper, and garlic powder

¼ pound dried fettuccine or other pasta (or more, if you’re big pasta eaters)

1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola

4 tablespoons butter

½ cup orange juice

¼ cup scallop juice (reserved from thawed scallops)

parsley, for garnish

 

(The glass jar on the right is a citrus-flavored salt)

Directions

Thaw the scallops in a bowl, then pat dry, retaining the liquid (mine came out to about ¼ cup).

Get a large pot of salted (1T) water boiling. Add the pasta and cook till done, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking together.

 

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the scallops and sauce: Sprinkle the scallops with salt, black pepper, and a little garlic powder on both sides.

 

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and once very hot, add the oil.

As soon as the oil is shimmering, place the scallops in the pan and fry until a golden brown, then flip. 

 

Cook scallops 30-60 seconds more, then remove from pan to a plate with a paper towel.

 

Lower the heat under the pan to medium and add the butter. 

 

Next, add the scallop water and the orange juice, then stir, making sure you scrape the bottom to incorporate all those lovely bits of scallop stuck to the pan.

 

Drain the cooked pasta, retaining ½ cup of the pasta water. Pour the orange/butter sauce over the pasta and stir to mix. If the pasta seems too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water until it’s the right consistency. 

 

Place a serving of pasta on each plate, then top with the scallops. Garnish with chopped parsley. (See photo at top.)

 

🌿 🍋 🌱

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This first book in my brand-new Orchid Isle mystery series features retired caterer Valerie Corbin and her wife Kristen who, on a trip to the Big Island of Hawai‘i, swap surfing lessons for sleuthing sessions when a hike to an active lava flow turns deadly. 

 

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Justice is Served:  A Tale of Scallops,

the Law, and Cooking for RBG

is the 2024 Silver Medal Winner for both the

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and the IPPY Award!

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Praise for Justice is Served:

 

"a suspenseful, exhilarating memoir; Karst relays her determination to serve the 'perfect' meal to RBG alongside an uplifting, enlightening portrayal of one of the most admired justices in the history of the Supreme Court." 

 

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