I don’t make fish often enough, but I should!  These grilled scallops in a garlic butter sauce were amazing!  A very simple recipe that takes minutes to make, yet is very flavorful and looks pretty too. This is a great dish when entertaining, impress your guests with this elegant treat and people will remember.

How to grill the perfect scallops.

Scallops are very delicate.  It’s easy to over cook them making them rubbery and unpleasant to eat.  It only takes a minute per side to achieve the perfect balance.

To prepare the scallops, make sure they are clean and remove the foot if still attached to the meat.  It’s a muscle that will become extremely tough and ruin your entire dish. Pat the scallops dry and set aside.  I did not season with any salt or pepper.  The scallops have a naturally sweet flavor to them and the homemade garlic butter sauce will give it enough seasoning.

Preheat the grill to 400 and set for direct heat.  Heat up a cast iron skillet and lightly coat it with olive oil.  Place the scallops flat on the hot surface and grill 30 seconds per side.  Once both sides are seared, remove them off the grill and the hot cast iron to rest.

How to make the homemade garlic butter sauce.

To be honest, I used a recipe my Mr. Makeithappen.  It’s a deliciously rich yet delicate sauce that goes so well with seafood in general.  But put in on the grilled scallops and you have a winning dish!

Keep the grill at the same temp as used on the scallops.  In the same cast iron skillet, melt a stick of high quality butter, followed by chopped shallots, roasted garlic, capers with the liquid, crushed red peppers, freshly squeezed lemon juice, a handful of chopped parsley and some white wine.  Continuously stir the ingredients together until the butter is melted and the aroma fills the air.

Pour the homemade sauce over the grilled scallops, top with more freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!

Printer Friendly Recipe

Check out the Recipes Page for other tasty ideas!