This recipe uses sauteed scallops accompanied with giant cous cous, beets and Brussels sprouts. The whole dish is super healthy, elegant and can be easily prepped in advance, see all the tips and tricks plus step by step instructions below.
What you need to make this recipe
Scallops – I love to use large scallops and find that 3 per person is perfect if your scallops are on the small side you might want to serve 4 per person. Also, make sure to pat them dry before cooking. Honey – I only use a small amount of honey to balance the acidity in the dish but you can easily adjust it by adding more to taste. White wine – The white wine gives a wonderful flavor to the sauce, a dry white wine works best, if you’d rather skip the wine you can replace it with extra stock.
Beets – I like to use raw beets and steam them until cooked through and saute the leaves separately, they’re so healthy and delicious. To save time, however, you can buy pre-cooked beets and warm them up for serving. Apple cider vinegar – Scallops are sweet so adding vinegar to the sauce really helps balance the flavors, if you don’t have apple cider vinegar then white wine vinegar will also work. Giant cous cous – You should be able to find giant cous cous in most supermarkets but if not you can use regular cous cous, rice or lentils. Brussel sprouts – Trim the sprouts and cut them in half so they cook quicker, if you’re not a fan of sprouts then you can use pretty much any other vegetable you love such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach or zucchini.
How to make Sauteed Scallops
Pat the scallops dry with kitchen paper then saute in butter on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside on a warm plate.
Add the shallot and garlic to the same pan and saute for a minute.
Add the flour and stir into the shallots and butter.
Cook the flour for 1 minute.
Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir together.
Cook, whilst stirring until the sauce thickens, set aside.
In a separate pan saute more butter, shallot and garlic for the cous cous.
Add stock and water to the mixture.
Next, add the cous cous and bring to a boil.
Simmer on low until the cous cous has absorbed all the liquid, set aside.
Add butter to another pan and add the sprouts.
Saute slowly, stirring occasionally until golden brown and cooked through.
Peel and slice the cooked beets.
Add them to a bowl with the dressing ingredients and stir to coat.
last minute, saute the beet leaves in a little butter.
Plate everything up on a bed of cous cous, serve.
Tips and ideas for making this recipe
Pat your scallops dry with a paper towel before seasoning. Don’t move the scallops around on the pan when they are cooking. Let them be until it’s time to turn them over. You can steam, roast, or buy pre-cooked beets just make sure they aren’t pickled. You can also use either regular or golden beets they both work really well. Giant cous cous is delicious, fun a full of flavor it comes in regular or whole wheat varieties and either will do. Alternatively, you could use rice, lentils, or normal-sized cous cous instead (cook it according to packet instructions).
How long do scallops take to cook?
I cook large scallops for 3-4 minutes each side, try not to move them around in the pan until it’s time to turn them over so they go a nice crispy golden brown on the outside (patting them dry the kitchen paper also helps achieve this).
How long do they last in the fridge?
Fresh scallops keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days. I recommend buying them from a fishmonger so you know they are at their freshest. If they start to smell fishy then they are going off, they should smell fresh like the sea.
Can I use frozen scallops?
You can use frozen scallops just make sure to thaw them completely in the fridge before cooking. Remember to pat them dry, because they’ve been frozen they’ll have a lot more moisture than fresh scallops.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, you can prep the majority of this recipe in advance so all you need to do is cook the scallops last minute. The beets, sprouts, cous cous and sauce can all be made in advance and warmed up before serving. You may need to loosen the sauce with a little stock or water as it thickens as it cools. If you’ve tried this sauteed scallop recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
