This Scallops in Cream Sauce recipe turns out seared scallops in a rich and creamy sauce that is reminiscent of marry me chicken sauce or Alfredo sauce. It happens to be a great pairing with rice or pasta and a hunk of bread with that sauce ready to soak everything up. You’ll have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.
This recipe for scallops happens to be a restaurant quality meal. The scallops are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. And the sauce is one that you will be thinking about for a long time. This is a great recipe for a date-night dinner, since it serves two people. Or double the recipe and share with friends.
Don’t be afraid of cooking scallops. They’re actually quite easy to make. Just follow the directions and tips below, and your scallops in cream sauce will turn out to be amazing. If you love scallops, you might also enjoy making my Seared Jumbo Scallops or my bacon-wrapped scallops appetizer!
This recipe comes from the cookbook: A Couple Cooks by Sonja and Alex Overhiser. This is a fabulous cookbook filled with so many great recipes from this couple who loves to cook together! Some recipes are for two people, but it includes recipes for entertaining too. It’s a great cookbook to add to your cookbook shelf.
Ingredients needed for making Scallops in Cream Sauce:
- Salt: Use Kosher salt!
- Scallops: Look for sea scallops. Lots more information about scallops in included in the write-up below.
- Oil: Use vegetable or canola oil. You need an oil that can handle the heat.
- Butter: I like to use salted butter.
- Garlic: You’ll be using peeled garlic cloves for mincing.
- Oregano: Dried oregano for this recipe is just fine.
- Cream: Heavy whipping cream will work best for the sauce.
- Milk: A little milk lightens up the sauce. Any milk will do.
- Parmesan cheese: Grated Parmesan cheese is what you want to use here. Shredded Parmesan will make the sauce too stringy. Also, using fresh Parmesan will give the sauce the best flavor.
- Spinach: Use chopped fresh spinach (not frozen). The amount might seem like a lot, but it shrinks down a lot when cooked.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: Use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, and drain them before adding to the sauce.
- Rice or Pasta: Whatever your preference is, these are both good options for serving with the scallops in cream sauce.
How to look for the best scallops:
- Look for sea scallops. And the most important place to start is to ask for scallops that are “dry packed.” This means that they have not been treated with chemicals or preservatives. They will be fresher, have better flavor, and they’ll sear better too.
- Look for larger scallops. This means “colossal” or “extra large.” Scallops shrink pretty significantly when they are cooked.
- Fresh scallops should have a sweet, mild scent. If they smell overly fishy, they’re probably not fresh.
- Good, fresh scallops should be a translucent, off-white color
- If buying frozen, thaw them overnight in the fridge before using. Drain them thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
In this recipe, you’re going to soak the scallops briefly in a brine of water and kosher salt, and then pat them dry thoroughly. Soaking scallops in a light brine before searing can help create a better, more even caramelization on the outside during cooking. This step is not mandatory for cooking scallops, but it’s a nice introduction if you have time.
How to prepare scallops in a pan:
Since you will be searing the scallops in the pan, be sure to use a cast iron or stainless steel skillet. Don’t use a nonstick skillet. It’s important to get the pan sizzling hot with the oil before adding the scallops. Add the scallops to the pan. Let them hang out in there without moving them around. You should hear them sizzle! Make sure the scallops are about 1-inch apart so they have a chance to cook individually. You’ll be cooking them 1 to 3 minutes on the first side. Once the first side has a nice golden crust, flip them over and sear the other side for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the seared scallops to a plate while you make the sauce.
How to make a cream sauce for scallops:
Add the butter to the same pan with the juices from the scallop-searing. Over medium-heat, you’ll cook the garlic and oregano. And then stir in the cream, milk and cheese; simmering and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the spinach, sun dried tomatoes and salt until that spinach begins to wilt. Bring the scallops back to the pan and place them in the sauce, warming just enough to heat them up again.
Recipe Tips
- Look for fresh scallops if you have access to them. They’ll be better tasting and prettier to cook than frozen.
- If you happen to find scallops that have the tough side muscles still attached, just remove them by cutting them off with a sharp knife or pinching them off and discarding them.
- Do not use a nonstick pan. You won’t get the nice sear you’re looking for on the scallops unless you use a cast iron pan or a stainless steel pan.
- Make sure the pan is really hot before you add the scallops. That’s how you’re going to get a nice sear!
- Don’t overcook the scallops or you’ll end up with tough, rubbery scallops. Yuck.
Seafood lovers, here are some more recipes to try:
Scallops in Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- kosher salt, for brining and seasoning
- 8 ounces sea (not bay) scallops (preferably fresh)
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
- rice or couscous, for serving
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, mix 2 cups of room temperature water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Add the scallops and let soak in the brine for 10 minutes. Remove the scallops and dry as thoroughly as possible (any extra water causes the pan to spit when searing). Lightly season the scallops with 1 generous pinch of kosher salt.
- In a medium stainless or cast iron skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Carefully add the scallops and cook without turning until an even brown crust forms on the bottom, 1 to 3 minutes depending on how high a heat your range provides. Flip the scallops using a fish spatula and cook on the other side until a crust just forms on the bottom and the center of the scallop is almost opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the scallops to a plate, leaving the juices in the pan.
- Add the butter to the pan and melt it over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and oregano and cook until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream, milk and Parmesan cheese and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally and gently scraping the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Return the scallops to the pan and warm for 30 seconds, spooning the sauce over the top. Serve immediately.
- Serve with rice or couscous.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
