Pan fried scallops with purple sprouting broccoli and lemon, caper, parsley butter

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I originally wrote this recipe in collaboration with Abel & Cole who I am a big fan of. Everything I used for this recipe came from their incredible online offering and was delivered straight to my door. If you thought they were just a monthly vegetable delivery scheme you will be pleasantly surprised. They are my one stop shop for everything organic whether it be cleaning products, broccoli or butter. You can also find my recipe on their site here.

The story goes that the goddess of love Aphrodite was carried to earth on the shell of a scallop. It seems fitting then that they are at their best during February; the month of valentines.

Scallops need little fuss in my opinion. I like to pan fry them in butter and serve them with something zesty. In this case I use a lemon, caper, parsley butter. Capers and butter are a match made in heaven and lemon and fish have been coupled for centuries.

This is a perfect dish to make for a loved one and despite being seemingly impressive it is in fact quite simple. The trick is to prepare your ingredients before-hand and ensure your broccoli has cooked before starting on the scallops.

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 1 bunch purple sprouting broccoli

  • olive oil

  • sea salt

  • 1 packet hand dived scallops (6)

  • 50g butter (plus a knob for cooking)

  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

  • zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 tbsp juice

  • 3 tbsp of parsley leaves

  • 2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained

Method

  • Preheat your oven to 220 C/fan. 

  • Cut any large broccoli stems in half and arrange onto a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and toss, using your hands to coat. Sprinkle with sea salt.

  • Roast for 15 mins until the broccoli has cooked and the leaves are slightly crispy.

  • Remove and cover whilst you prepare the scallops and butter.

  • Place the 50g butter and garlic clove in a small saucepan. Heat over a medium heat until the butter has melted and just starts to bubble. 

  • Add your lemon zest, juice, parsley, capers and a tsp of sea salt and cook for a further 3 mins gently before switching off the heat and covering.

  • To cook your scallops place a knob of butter into a frying pan and melt over a medium heat.

  • Arrange your scallops in the pan. Cook for 2.5 minutes, turn and cook for a further 2 mins. Once cooked remove and place onto a plate to avoid them over cooking.

  • Arrange your broccoli onto two plates. Then add your scallops. Finish by pouring over the lemon, parsley caper butter and a sprinkling of sea salt. Serve right away.