Seared Scallops and Wilted Greens

Rich and savory Seared Scallops and Wilted Greens. A hearty meal that satisfies, yet is easy on the waistline. 

The first time I ever seared scallops was on my honeymoon.

Lt. Dan and I got married  right after college over seventeen years ago. We decided that before we took the plunge into our new “grown-up” careers, we would spend a month in Colorado, hiking, visiting natural hot springs, rafting, horse-back riding, and taking lots of pictures.

One evening we planned to stay in our cabin and cook. Being honeymooners, we wanted to prepare something fancy… Seared scallops perhaps.

I had some cooking experience, but coming from a family with five kids, we didn’t eat a lot of seafood or expensive proteins.

Like many new cooks, I was afraid of the possibility of raw seafood. The word bacteria kept trailing through my thoughts.

What if I poisoned my new husband?

The image of us sitting in the ER on our honeymoon was more than I could bare. So I sautéed the scallops… And sautéed the scallops. And sautéed, sautéed, sautéed, until at some point they ceased to be moist, buttery pillows of oceanic bliss, and turned into dense rubber balls, similar to those you get out of a 25 cent slot machine.

My sweet new hubby complemented my dinner as he struggled to chew. Upon first bite my teeth trampolined off the scallops. Oh dear, what had I done?

The truth is, many people overcook seafood. Whether due to fear of bacteria or oversight, it’s an absolute travesty to ruin perfectly good fish and seafood by elongated cooking.

Most varieties of seafood are best when  just barely cooked through. Seared scallops are actually considered to be cooked to perfection when the top and bottom are caramelized and crisp, yet the inside is a touch undercooked.

Usually 1-2 minutes per side over high heat will do the job!

Today I’ve paired some “colossal” jumbo scallops with wilted greens and served them over white beans for a healthy low carb meal. The acidity in the greens complements the devilishly rich scallops.

Seared Scallops with Wilted Greens could be served with grits, potatoes, or mashed cauliflower, for and elegant low-country meal!

I like to serve Seared Scallops with Wilted Greens on its own to cut the carbs.

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Seared Scallops with Wilted Greens

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Rich hearty Seared Scallops and Wilted Greens make a marvelous healthy dinner option!

Servings: 4

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 3 slices of thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces
• 2 shallots, sliced thin
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bunches kale, chard, beet greens…
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 12 jumbo sea scallops
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

• Slice the kale stems into thin pieces and the leaves into larger strips. Heat a large deep sauté pan to medium-high. Add the bacon a cook 3-4 minutes.
• Add the shallots and cook until soft, 3 more minutes. Next add the garlic, and kale stems. Cook another 4-5 minutes before adding the leaves. Toss until the leaves wilt over the heat. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, then salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
• Heat an iron skillet to high. Dry the scallops thoroughly and remove the "foot" on the side of each scallop. Salt and pepper liberally. Add the oil to the pan and swirl around. When it starts to smoke, quickly add the scallops. Cook on high for about 1-2 minutes.
• Flip the scallops over and add the butter. Spoon the butter over the scallops as they cook another 1-2 minutes. Serve over warm greens.

Nutrition

Serving: 15g, Calories: 184kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 574mg, Potassium: 316mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 2935IU, Vitamin C: 35.6mg, Calcium: 53mg, Iron: 0.9mg

Course: Healthy, Main Course, Seafood

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

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