This is the part of my home cooking adventure where I get to dramatically spoon brown butter over scallops because YA GIRL IS FANCY.
When it comes to fish, I usually stick to what I know – shrimp, tilapia, salmon, and sushi that’s made by someone else. I could never roll a sleeping bag as a kid without it looking like one of those tall twisty lollipops from Six Flags. I don’t stand a chance against homemade sushi.
But then I passed these little babies at the store and thought it was time to take one tiny step out of my seafood comfort zone. I mean, it’s not like I was trapping, boiling and cracking lobsters, but it was something.
(Scallops also look like little potato cheese wheels, which could be why I wanted to eat them.)
I paired the scallops with polenta in the Instant Pot, which was a smart move. I could set and forget it while I pretended to be on the Food Network with my v. fancy buttery scallops. And since this meal was pretty much turning out to be buttery fish and grits, I threw in some broccoli for good measure.
The scallops turned out great – I didn’t overcook them and the brown butter sauce crisped them up nicely. The polenta couldn’t have been easier and was super creamy (heyyyy butter and parm), and the broccoli did its job: I ate a vegetable that night.
Ten out of ten, would scallop/polenta/broccoli again.
Here are the recipes, both from Bon Appétit.
Brown Butter Scallops
From Bon Appétit
Ingredients
1 lb. sea scallops, side muscle removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp. olive oil
Directions
Pat scallops as dry as possible. (Too much moisture will cause the oil in the pan to pop.)
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Season scallops with salt and pepper and cook until deep golden brown on one side, about 3 minutes.
Turn scallops and add butter to pan.
Continue cooking, spooning butter over scallops often, until scallops are cooked through and butter is brown and smells nutty, about 3 minutes longer.
Serve with brown butter pan sauce.
Instant Pot Polenta
From Bon Appétit
Ingredients
1 cup polenta (not quick-cooking)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces Pecorino and/or Parmesan, finely grated, plus more
Directions
Whisk polenta and 4 cups water in Instant Pot until combined.
Season with 1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper.
Seal the Instant Pot and set to high pressure for 9 minutes.
When timer goes off, manually release pressure. Carefully open lid and whisk polenta until homogenous and creamy.
Whisk butter into polenta, then gradually add 4 oz. Pecorino or Parmesan, whisking until melted.
Taste and season with more salt, if needed, and lots of pepper.
Serve and top with extra cheese and pepper as desired.