"Naima" Pan Seared Scallops with Dairy-Free Pear Cream Sauce

A pan seared scallops recipe that pairs perfectly cooked scallops with a sauce to die for. Perfect for a weeknight splurge or gourmet date night.

Full confession, I made these scallops as an excuse to use my leftover pear cream sauce. Pear is mild in flavor, but there is just enough there that provides that sweety fruitiness as a compliment to the scallops. The sauce works on everything, but it is a great match for pan-seared scallops.

Pan Seared Scallops Recipe Ingredients

• Sea Scallops
• Olive Oil
• Flour
• Pears
• Almond Milk (feel free to substitute milk or half & half)
• Pepper
• Salt

A few years ago I had the pan seared scallops at Proof and Pantry Restaurant in Dallas and they were winners. They were cooked perfectly with a well brown exterior and soft middle. Scallops are the quickest and easiest way to a weekday gourmet meal. However, execution like for most things is quite essential. Poor execution nets rubbery scallops which is a no-no.

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How to Pan Sear Scallops

Step 1: Dry the scallops thoroughly

Step 2: Season the scallops with salt

Step 3: Sear the scallops over high heat

Expert Tips for Perfectly Searing Scallops

• Moisture is the enemy. Dry the scallops thoroughly. I like to pat dry them with a paper towel then air dry them in the fridge uncovered.
• Season with salt just before searing
• Skillet should be very hot (smoking lightly). You oil/fat with high smoke point - canola, ghee, avocado oil
• When you add the scallops leave adequate space between each one to prevent any steaming which ruins the sear
• Resist the urge to move the scallops around while cooking. Let them sit still to brown properly. Plus if the pan is hot enough the scallops will easily release when they're ready

Serving Suggestions

Top the scallops with the pear cream sauce. Fair warning - it's highly addictive! Pear the scallops with easy cook sides like:

Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Vegetables Salad

Smoked Tomato Salad

Sauted Spinach

Citrus Israeli Couscous

Notes on the Sauce

The sauce is made with fresh pears and almond milk which provide a very unique flavor profile and is a great compliment to scallops. Again, execution drives this extremely simple sauce recipe. It's all about cooking the flour appropriately which includes frequent stirring. Lastly the recipe calls for almond milk but feel free to substitute with a dairy like milk, cream or half & half if you like.

For similar recipes you might like, try these:

Grilled Scallops

Seared Scallops with Coffee Vinaigrette

Grilled Mahi Mahi

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

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Seared Scallops with Pear Cream Sauce

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Modern Soul Food

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 402kcal

Author: Marwin Brown

Equipment

• ▢
  cast iron skillet

Ingredients

Pear Cream Sauce

• ▢ 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoon All Purpose Flour
• ▢ 1 whole pear peeled, cored, and chopped
• ▢ 2 Cups Almond Milk
• ▢ Spices to taste:
• ▢ Black Pepper
• ▢ Sea Salt

Scallops

• ▢ 8 fresh dry sea scallops
• ▢ Kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon canola oil

Instructions

Pear Cream Sauce

• Blend almond milk and pear in blender until smooth.
• Add the oil to a pot on the stove and heat it at medium to high heat.
• As the oil heats, sift the flour and add to the pan stirring vigorously.
• Fry the flour in the oil for around 3 minutes, stirring the whole time, don't allow it to get too hot, turn down your heat if it starts to stick at any point.
• Add the almond milk and pear mixture.
• Continue to stir and allow the sauce to gradually thicken. You will usually get to the right thickness after it has reached boiling point and boiled for a few minutes.
• When you've reached the desired thickness (keep in mind that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools), remove from the heat and add salt and pepper as well as any other spice you prefer.

Seared Scallops

• Place scallops on a layer of paper towels and dry thoroughly.
• Season with salt on all sides.
• Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Add scallops, leaving space between each one to prevent excess steaming.
• Cook scallops without moving them until well browned on first side, about 1 minute. Carefully flip scallops and cook until second side is browned, about 1 minute longer. Transfer scallops to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve immediately with pear cream sauce.

Notes

• Moisture is the enemy. Dry the scallops thoroughly. I like to pat dry them with a paper towel then air dry them in the fridge uncovered.
• Season with salt just before searing
• Skillet should be very hot (smoking lightly). You oil/fat with high smoke point - canola, ghee, avocado oil
• When you add the scallops leave adequate space between each one to prevent any steaming which ruins the sear
• Resist the urge to move the scallops around while cooking. Let them sit still to brown properly. Plus if the pan is hot enough the scallops will easily release when they're ready

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 562mg | Potassium: 226mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 308mg | Iron: 1mg

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