Herb Brown Butter Scallops with Champagne Risotto
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
4 people
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Herb Brown Butter Scallops with Champagne Risotto
Description
This dish starts with a champagne risotto made by sautéing arborio rice with garlic in olive oil, then slowly cooking it by progressively adding warm chicken or vegetable stock and dry champagne until creamy and al dente. Butter and Parmesan finish the risotto, giving it a silky, rich texture with a gentle cheese flavor. The champagne adds a subtle fruity, acidic note that elevates the rice.
Separately, large scallops are seasoned with salt and pepper then cooked in unsalted butter until seared and browned. The butter continues to cook with garlic and fresh herbs like parsley and chives, infusing the scallops with fragrant brown butter flavor. The scallops have a golden crust while remaining tender inside.
Plating the herb brown butter scallops atop the champagne risotto creates a refined dish suitable for special meals. The savory seafood and luxurious rice complement each other well, combining savory, buttery, and delicate wine notes in each bite.
Ingredients
champagne risotto
- 6 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 garlic minced, cloves
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups arborio rice
- ¾ cup dry champagne sparkling wine or white wine
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- ¾ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
herb brown butter scallops
- 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 ½ pounds scallops
- salt kosher salt
- black pepper kosher salt
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 3 tablespoons parsley chopped, fresh
- 1 tablespoon chives chopped fresh
Instructions
champagne risotto
- In a separate saucepan or stock pot, heat the stock on low until it’s warm.
- In another saucepan or pot, heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Stir in the garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the rice. Cook, stirring often, to toast the rice for 3 to 5 minutes. The rice should be translucent.
- Once the rice is translucent, stir in the champagne. Cook until the champagne has been absorbed. Add 1 cup of the warm stock, stirring continuously, until the stock is absorbed. Repeat again with 1 cup of stock, stirring until absorbed. Repeat this process with another 2 to 3 cups of the stock, until the rice is creamy and al dente. You want it to appear “hydrated” – and want there to be some liquid left when serving. This process should take about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Stir in the butter until melted. Stir in the parmesan until melted. Taste the rice and season it with salt and pepper as needed. This will depend on how salty your cheese is, so I suggest adding as much as you need.
herb brown butter scallops
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Pat the scallops completely dry with a paper towel and season them all over with salt and pepper.
- Add the butter to the pan - it will almost immediately begin to brown in the cast iron. Place the scallops in a single layer in the pan. They cook quickly, so they probably only need about 2 minutes per side, depending on their size! I like to cook for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat. Stir in the garlic. They will continue to cook for another minute or so. Sprinkle the chopped parsley and chives over the scallops.
- To make extra brown butter (if you want, not required!), place the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and let the mixture bubble, stirring occasionally, until brown bits begin to appear on the bottom. Once the brown bits appear, turn the heat off and continue to stir for about 30 seconds.
- Scoop the risotto into a bowl and top with the scallops. You can serve this family style, with everything in one large bowl, or as separate servings. Drizzle more brown butter on top. If you’d like, you can sprinkle on some extra parmesan too!
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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