Seared Scallops with Spring Onion and Tarragon Cream

By lastnightsdinner, posted 4 months ago

Photo: Sarah Shatz

Amanda & Merrill's Notes:

Lastnightsdinner's scallop recipe proves that when it comes to seafood, less is often more. With just a few simple ingredients (spring onions, tarragon, butter, flour and milk), she creates a zippy, creamy sauce that's the perfect foil for sweet flesh of the scallops. And her technique of drying the scallops in the refrigerator before searing them makes for an impeccably caramelized crust. - A&M

About a year ago I had a wonderful dish of halibut cheeks served with grilled baby leeks and asparagus and a spring onion soubise at one of our favorite Providence restaurants, La Laiterie. That soubise has haunted me, and I’ve been waiting for just the right opportunity to try my hand at making a similar sauce at home. When this challenge was announced, I thought the super sweet Bomster scallops (from Stonington, CT) that we get at our local farmers market would pair beautifully, and happily I was right. The delicate onion flavor, in this instance enhanced with a hint of anise-y tarragon and the subtle tang of (you guessed it) crème fraiche, played really well with the caramelized scallops, and the pale green color of the sauce whispered “spring.” - lastnightsdinner

Serves 4 as a main course, more as a starter

1 pound wild dry sea scallops
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Kosher or sea salt
1 bunch spring onions, about ½ lb.
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves
grapeseed or other neutral oil
2 tablespoons crème fraiche
fresh chives for garnish

Place the scallops on a plate or platter and refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Trim the spring onions, separating the green tops from the small bulbs. Dice the bulbs and roughly chop the greens.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped spring onion bulbs and a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to low, and cook 20-25 minutes, until very soft. Add the green tops, toss through, and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until soft but still bright green. Sprinkle the flour over and cook for a minute or two, just until the raw flour smell is gone. Add the milk, raising the heat to medium, and cook briefly until thickened. Add the tarragon leaves and stir through, then turn off the heat and pour the mixture into a blender. Puree until very smooth, then return to the pan over low heat, cooking until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Pour a thin film of grapeseed oil in the bottom of a sauté pan and warm over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully add the scallops a few at a time, being careful not to crowd the pan, and sear them just couple of minutes per side until they are nicely browned and caramelized - they should release from the pan easily once they’re ready, and they should still be a little jiggly in the middle, as they will continue to cook off the heat. Set aside and keep warm.
Taste the sauce and adjust salt if necessary. Whisk in the crème fraiche off the heat until the mixture is smooth, then spoon a little of the sauce into the bottom of shallow, warmed bowls, place scallops on top, and garnish with fresh chives.

Comments (54)Add yours

lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: Thanks, all, for your congrats, and thank you to all who have tried this and liked it - I'm so thrilled.
Veronica 4 months ago: Oh my heavens--sublime! FINALLY made this last night--my husband and I are still swooning. He's leaving on business tomorrow so I get to finish the sauce, however I please! Thank you for this marvelous addition and CONGRATULATIONS!
Kabocha 4 months ago: I made this last night and it was so delicious... but be careful to not add too much tarragon or the anise flavour will overwhelm the sauce.
shayma 4 months ago: Congrats, Jen, love love love this recipe. You rock. xxxx shayma
Refrigerator Magnet 4 months ago: This recipe looks amazing. I cannot wait to try it.
Kayb 4 months ago: Congrats! I'm trying this sauce on SOMETHING this weekend. Scallops if I can find decent ones!
maryvelasquez 4 months ago: Lovely! So glad this simple but delicious dish will be in the book.
TasteFood 4 months ago: Congratulations LND. This is a great recipe!
coffeefoodwritergirl 4 months ago: Congrats LND! looking forward to trying them!
melissav 4 months ago: Congrats LND! You are a force to be reckoned with. If you keep it up, A&M are going to have to rename the cookbook to the "Food 52 & LND Cookbook."
lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: Thanks so much! I was convinced your scallops would win - such a wonderful recipe, and the roasted lemons are inspired! I can't wait to make it at home soon.
amreen 4 months ago: Yay! Congrats ... i love the cobos in this dish ... simple and elegant ... can't wait to try it!
MrsWheelbarrow 4 months ago: I made this last weekend. The sauce was intoxicating. I saved the last little bit from the pot and enjoyed it the next day over asparagus. Really, I'm sure it would be good poured over almost anything, but with the scallops, it's fantastic.
Oui, Chef 4 months ago: Congrats, LND on another great win! Gotta keep my eyes open for these Bomster scallops.
lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: I've been in meetings all morning - what a thrill to see this when I came out! Thank you all SO much!
drbabs 4 months ago: Congratulations on the win! I never make scallops--my husband is allergic--but I'm looking forward to trying the sauce.
mrslarkin 4 months ago: Congrats, LND! This is a beautiful recipe.
arielleclementine 4 months ago: congratulations, lastnightsdinner! a beautiful recipe :)
SallyCan 4 months ago: A lovely recipe~I love the mix of spring onions, tarragon and creme fraiche.
Veronica 4 months ago: Congratulations and thank you! Can NOT wait to try this. It looks and "feels/smells" gorgeous"!
lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: Thanks again, everyone! You sure know how to make a girl blush :)
Oui, Chef 4 months ago: Tarragon is an absolute favorite of mine, and so good with seafood. Congratulations, and thanks for such a great recipe.
mariaraynal 4 months ago: Tarragon is one of those underused, underappreciated herbs. You've elevated it to something truly special in this dish. Congrats!
Aliwaks 4 months ago: beautiful ! i want them in my mouth..now!
KelseyTheNaptimeChef 4 months ago: Congrats! What a yummy and pretty recipe!
ChezSuzanne 4 months ago: CONGRATS on being a finalist with such a great recipe!! I'm buying some scallops today and am planning on this for dinner. It sounds just wonderful!!
TasteFood 4 months ago: Congratulations LND! This recipe sounds simply luxurious.
lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: Thanks so much, everyone! I'm so honored and humbled, particularly going up against such great competition!
melissav 4 months ago: Congrats. This is a great dish. As I mention below, I made it with pompano and then I used the leftover sauce with scallops the next night. And if that wasn't enough, I made the sauce on Monday and tossed it with sauteed summer squash, peas, and pasta. It was delicious.
monkeymom 4 months ago: Yay! Congrats, can't wait to class up my joint by making this.
Lizthechef 4 months ago: Brava, brava and yes, I-told-you-so :)
dymnyno 4 months ago: I made the sauce...somehow way too thick. Delicious but I thought that the amount in your pic was waaay to much for the scallop...soo rich !
ENunn 4 months ago: Oh, my gosh. I'm absolutely dying. Die-ing. And can I just say that I am so jealous that you have scallops at your farmers market? We don't do that here in Chicago.
katekirk 4 months ago: As promised...made this tonight and wow wow wow delicious. I think I over-thickened the sauce - tasted great, though. I have a dinner party planned in a couple of weeks and will plan on doing this for a starter. Wonderful, thank you!
Kayb 4 months ago: I believe I could eat that sauce with a spoon.
Oui, Chef 4 months ago: Tarragon is my favorite herb....period. This is definitely the next way I will be making scallops.
lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: I hope you like it!
melissav 4 months ago: I made the spring onion soubise tonight and served it with a piece of fresh Florida pompano. It took every bit of self-control not to just pour the sauce in a bowl and eat it like a soup. It was that good - and I didn't even add the creme fraiche. Great recipe.
lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: Wow, thank you! (and I spent a lot of time in Florida when I was younger - there's nothing like fresh pompano. I miss it!)
meganvt01 4 months ago: That caramelization on those scallops looks amazing. Do you use non-stick or an anodized pan to get that finish?
lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: Thanks! I used an 11-inch All-Clad Stainless French Skillet for the scallops.
MrsWheelbarrow 4 months ago: This is a gorgeous recipe. Yum. My tarragon is just greening up in the garden and I can't wait to give this a try.
lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: Thank you, my friend :)
katekirk 4 months ago: THIS is on my weekend menu.
lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: I hope you like it!
lastnightsdinner 4 months ago: Thanks so much, everyone! mrslarkin, there are a couple of different types of soubise sauces - Escoffier has a version which is basically onions cooked slowly with a bechamel (which is what I tried to do here), Julia Child did a rice-based version, and there are soubise recipes on the internet that are neither.
mrslarkin 4 months ago: Thanks so much for the tips! Will check them out. P.S. I love all your recipes - they are very inspiring.
ChezSuzanne 4 months ago: Fabulous!
monkeymom 4 months ago: Lovely!
mrslarkin 4 months ago: ohhh....that's very nice. what's soubise? french word for sauce?
lechef 4 months ago: Wow. I want this right now.
coffeefoodwritergirl 4 months ago: These look absolutely delicious and the photo is beautiful!
TasteFood 4 months ago: OK, now I am officially hungry. These look great.
WinnieAb 4 months ago: Really really great!