Pan Seared Scallops with Butternut Squash and Brown Butter Hazelnuts

This is an elegant meal that is really easy to prepare. Scallops take only 3-4 minutes to cook until caramelized yet succulent. The trick to achieving that golden crust without overcooking the scallops is to heat your cast iron or stainless steel skillet over high heat for a few minutes until very hot and the scallops should be dry when they hit the pan. Pairing the plump, juicy and perfectly browned sea scallops with creamy butternut squash puree (parsnip puree would be fabulous too) that's roasted with garlic and thyme and brown butter hazelnuts is simply heavenly.

Butternut Squash Puree	Brown Butter Hazelnuts & Scallops
1 / about 750 g Small butternut squash, seeded and halved 2 tbsp Butter 2 Fresh thyme sprigs 2 Garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp Olive oil Flaky sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste 150 ml Almond milk (plus more for a thinner puree)	7 tbsp Salted butter (3 tbsp for scallops and 4 tbsp for hazelnuts) 50 g Blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped 1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice 8 Large sea scallops, thawed 2 tsp Olive oil Salt and black pepper, to taste 1 tbsp Flat parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. Cut squash in half crosswise and scoop out seeds. Place squash halves on a baking sheet and divide butter, herbs, and garlic amongst each half. Season generously with salt and pepper and olive oil, roast until tender for about an hour.
Once squash is cool enough to handle, discard the thyme sprigs, scoop out flesh and place in a blender along with roasted garlic and almond milk. Pulse until smooth, adding more milk as you go until you reach your desired consistency, taste to season.
Brown the butter in a skillet. To do this, melt it over medium heat and add hazelnuts and cook until butter begins to brown. Once it’s a light chestnut colour, turn the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes or until the nuts start to take on a little colour. Remove pan from heat and add lemon juice.
Pat scallops dry with a paper towel, season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet, preferably cast iron or stainless steel, over high heat. Drizzle hot skillet with olive oil and sear scallops on one side for 2 minutes until golden and caramelized, don’t disturb them while cooking. Flip scallops and add butter to the pan. Baste scallops with butter and cook for 1 minute.
Spread butternut squash across plate, nestle scallops on top and top with brown butter hazelnuts and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

35 comments:

David M. Gascoigne, 24/9/23 13:23: Recently on a visit to Vancouver Island I had a dish with scallops and they were so small I would have hardly recognized them, had I not paid the hefty bill! I am sure yours would have been much better.
eileeninmd 24/9/23 14:11: Hello,
Hubby and I love scallops, this recipe sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing. Happy Sunday, have a wonderful week!
Christine 24/9/23 14:50: Fabulous dish!
Lola Martínez 24/9/23 15:26: Comenzaré diciendo que ese puré de calabaza me lo comería solo de rico que me parece, pero cuando he visto que las vieiras lo acompañan perfectamente, creo que el conjunto me encantaría y lo veo un plato ideal.
Tom 24/9/23 15:29: ...this is a great treat.
Bill 24/9/23 16:51: I love scallops but haven't had them in a long time.
Cooking Julia 24/9/23 17:17: This is a great way to cook scallops. It must be very tasty.
Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine 24/9/23 17:34: oh how I miss scallops, somehow allergic now to seafood but this made my mouth water with delicious memories!
Tricia Buice 24/9/23 18:07: Another gorgeous recipe Angie! Hope you are doing great.
DEZMOND 24/9/23 22:14: The puree looks lovely! Happy Autumn!
My name is Erika. 24/9/23 23:13: This looks amazing, and now I really want scallops. :)
roentare 24/9/23 23:35: That looks like a restaurant grade main!
Brian's Home Blog 25/9/23 00:26: That looks great! I haven't had scallops in forever, yum.
Anne in the kitchen 25/9/23 00:51: We had seared scallops last week. It might be my favorite seafood.
Cocoa and Lavender 25/9/23 01:01: Again, roasting the squash will really make this purée very special - and it will pair so beautifully with the sweetness of the scallops. Definitely a recipe I want to make soon!
Granny Sue 25/9/23 02:51: Oh. My.
foodtravelandwine 25/9/23 03:35: What a delicious dish!!....I love scallops, and I imagine this dish to be very soft and delicious!......Abrazotes, Marcela
Citu 25/9/23 04:18: Gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso. https://enamoradadelasletras.blogspot.com/
delphine 25/9/23 07:29: Hum c'est très appétissant
Merci
Margaret D 25/9/23 07:33: Yummy. love scallops.
Veronica Lee 25/9/23 14:17: Oooo! I love scallops! 😋
Happy Monday, Angie!
Maria Grazia Ferrarazzo Maineri 25/9/23 17:43: I love scallops so much, Angie! They are so tasty and this recipe is precious. Thank you for sharing it.
Eva Taylor 25/9/23 21:41: What an elegant meal for sure! I think this would make a wonderful starter too. I just love the way you caramelized the scallops, they look fantastic. And your tips are awesome.
Lowcarb team member 25/9/23 23:56: That's a lovely looking dish, many thanks for sharing the recipe.

All the best Jan
Ben | Havocinthekitchen 26/9/23 01:23: Whoa what a fabulous dish suitable for the dinner of the king! :) Such a great combination of textures, and the flavour profile is impeccable!
savorthebest 26/9/23 06:03: I love scallops and this is such a delicious take on them.
Rainbow Evening 26/9/23 06:44: look tasty.... yummy
Julie Ann Lozada 26/9/23 11:19: the most good looking scallops dish that i've seen, i'm sure it taste really good, too.

JULIE ANN LOZADA BLOG
Anonymous 26/9/23 12:08: Yum, yum - that looks amazing!
The Velvet Runway 26/9/23 13:22: This looks amazing! It would be a lovely dish for a dinner party too.
Julia x
https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/
thepaintedapron.com 26/9/23 18:07: This definitely sounds like heaven Angie! I adore scallops and pairing them with the butternut squash puree is brilliant!
Jenna
tigerfish 27/9/23 01:32: My favorite scallops! The sweet nutty puree complements the savory briny scallops so well.
Raymund 27/9/23 23:39: This butternut squash puree with brown butter hazelnuts and scallops is a masterpiece! The combination of caramelized scallops, creamy squash puree, and the rich nuttiness from the brown butter hazelnuts sounds absolutely divine. Thanks for sharing this elegant yet easy-to-prepare recipe.
Pam 28/9/23 18:14: My entire family would LOVE this meal.
David 3/10/23 21:01: Hi Angie, Love scallops...usually grilled...but this more exotic offering looks great! You'd mentioned that you didn't know what a dreamsicle salad was. Here's one recipe. https://allrecipesguide.net/orange-dreamsicle-salad/. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave