This is one of those flavor combinations that sounds odd until you taste it and get the bright pop of acid along with the silky butter sauce. I made this for the first time when I was coaching clients on a slow carb diet and looking for impressive dinners that came together fast. The whole thing takes about 15 minutes, and the sauce is a unique, but delicious, surprise.
Quick Summary: Pan-seared scallops in a bright grapefruit butter sauce. An unexpected flavor pairing that works beautifully. Elegant enough for dinner parties, fast enough for weeknights. Naturally slow carb compliant. Prep: 10 min | Cook: 10 min | Serves: 2
Jump To: RECIPE | Serving Suggestions | Diet Friendly? | The Perfect Sear | More Scallop Recipes | FAQ
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What Makes This Dish Work for Dinner Parties?
This elegant grapefruit-butter sauce is the perfect foil that allows you to transform a seared scallop week-night dinner to a restaurant-style dish that will impress any dinner guest.
First of all, you might want to add a French flair to the name of the dish when letting your guests know the menu.
I don’t do fancy dinner parties myself, so I just call this dish Scallops with Grapefruit-Butter sauce, but you might want to dress it up a bit for guests and call it Seared Scallops with Grapefruit Beurre Blanc. I’ve noticed how much more people at my farmers market take notice when the name of a tomato or a tea that I sell has a creative name.
In addition to the unique flavors, this seared scallop dish is a good party recipe because you don’t have to stand at the stove for long to put out a dish that’s refined, bright and totally delicious.
What to Serve with Scallops and Grapefruit Butter Sauce?
If you are making this scallop dish as a dinner entrée rather than an appetizer, think about something green and vegetal.
A side dish of greens would be particularly relevant if you are on a slow carb diet, but it is actually a good choice for any type of lifestyle.
Here are a few suggestions for winning side dishes to pair with seared scallops and grapefruit butter.
- A bed of greens is my favorite side dish, as it is both a tasty and colorful way to serve scallops. Lightly sauté baby spinach, chard, or other greens with some caramelized onions in olive oil, seasoning with just a bit of salt and pepper. Try this Korean style low carb spinach recipe.
- Asparagus
- Scalloped potatoes
- A fruit salsa that would compliment the grapefruit
- Fingerling potatoes and snap peas
- Wild rice
- A colorful tossed salad
Is Scallops with Grapefruit Butter Sauce Diet Friendly?
For anyone on a high-protein diet, scallops are a great source of lean protein. Scallops are also considered a great source of magnesium and potassium, which are both considered important micronutrients to balance out a diet high in protein.
Scallops are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and antioxidants. These nutrients are considered helpful in balancing cholesterol levels and reducing oxidative stress on the heart.
The pros and cons of butter have been debated throughout the ages, but if you subscribe to the keto diet, you will appreciate the generous amount of butter in this recipe.
If you are not a fan of fat in the form of butter, then you should go easy on the portion of sauce on your plate, or only make the sauce for special occasions.
Scallops themselves (without the sauce) are a lean protein and the butter in the sauce is high fat. Meals that are high in fat and protein will help you feel full for longer periods of time, which is important to those on a low-calorie diet.
How to Get the Perfect Sear on Scallops
There are three tricks to perfectly seared scallops:
- Start with a screaming-hot pan before putting the scallops in.
- Make sure the scallops are completely dry before putting them into the pan. You can either purchase scallops that are “dry,” or unprocessed, or thaw out frozen scallops and pat dry frequently with a paper towel. Processed scallops are soaked in a solution that makes them retain water, which is released when they’re seared, making it harder to brown the scallops. Any extra liquid will affect the way the scallop cooks, making them tough and pale rather than tender and soft.
- Take care not to overcook scallops. When overcooked, scallops become tough, rubbery, and chewy. It takes only a few minutes to sear scallops, cooking them to perfection with a golden brown crust.
More Scallop Recipes
Creamed Spinach and Fennel-Seared Scallops
Grilled Scallops with Tomato Jam over Polenta
Low Carb Mexican Scallop Ceviche
Pan Seared Scallops with Lemon Caper Orzo
A scallop recipe from Food and Wine adds bacon to the mix, which sounds delightful to me. If you are Pescatarian and don’t eat meat, but you want the salty flavor of bacon as an addition you could add a bit of tomato powder.
We preserve heirloom tomatoes as tomato powder and you can also! Here is a post and video on DIY tomato powder. We sometimes refer to it as “bacon powder”.
FAQ
The bright acidity of grapefruit cuts through the richness of butter and complements the natural sweetness of scallops. It’s unexpected but balanced.
Yes. Thaw in the refrigerator, drain, and pat very dry. Frozen scallops release more moisture, so the drying step is critical.
Dry scallops are unprocessed. Wet scallops have been soaked in a solution that makes them retain water, which releases during cooking and prevents browning. Dry scallops sear better.
Yes. Scallops are lean protein, and the sauce is butter-based with no added carbs.
Yes. Scale the recipe up, but sear scallops in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
For 40+ recipes that focus on fish, check out this comprehensive seafood category.
Low Carb Seared Scallops in Grapefruit Butter
Equipment
- Small pot
Ingredients
- 12 large sea scallops I used frozen Kirkland raw sea scallops
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion shallots work for a milder taste
- ¼ cup champagne vinegar white wine vinegar can be substituted
- ¼ cup grapefruit juice freshly squeezed (juice from about 1/2 grapefruit)
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 2 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- grapefruit segments from 1/2 of a large grapefruit
Instructions
- Thaw frozen scallops by placing in the refrigerator for several hours. Remove the scallops from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before cooking, drain them and set them on paper towels to start drying. Keep patting them dry with clean paper towels as you're making the sauce. They need to be as dry as possible when you place them in the pan.
- Make the sauce. In a small saucepan combine the chopped onion, vinegar and grapefruit juice and quickly bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and simmer until the mixture is half as much as when you started (i.e., reduce the mixture by half). This takes about 6-7 minutes over low heat. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the butter cubes. Keep warm.
- Heat a large dry skillet over medium-high heat until it is really, really hot (may take 5 -10 minutes depending on your skillet and burner). Keep dabbing the scallops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper on one side of scallops after they are as dry as you can get them. When skillet is hot, melt one tablespoon of butter in it (butter will brown right away), and then add the scallops, salt side down in the skillet, and sear for 1 minute. Salt and pepper the top side of scallops while they are searing, turn them over gently with tongs, and sear the other side one minute. Do not overcook or they will be rubbery.
- To serve, spread a spoonful of the butter sauce across the bottom of a plate, place the scallops on top of the sauce and garnish with the grapefruit segments. Serve with a side dish of greens.
Notes
-
- Start with a screaming-hot pan before putting the scallops in.
-
- Make sure the scallops are completely dry before putting them into the pan. You can either purchase scallops that are “dry,” or unprocessed, or thaw out frozen scallops and pat dry frequently with a paper towel. Processed scallops are soaked in a solution that makes them retain water, which is released when they’re seared, making it harder to brown the scallops. Any extra liquid will affect the way the scallop cooks, making them tough and pale rather than tender and soft.
-
- Take care not to overcook scallops. When overcooked, scallops become tough, rubbery, and chewy. It takes only a few minutes to sear scallops, cooking them to perfection with a golden brown crust.
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[…] For another wonderful recipe using low carb seared scallops click on this link to Scallops and Grapefruit Butter. […]
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