Pan-Seared Scallops with Spring Vegetable Medley and Sweet Potato Fries

Pan-Seared Scallops

Dry scallops, a hot pan, and enough space produce a deeply browned crust before the centers overcook. Ghee tolerates the searing heat without burning.

Ingredients

• 16 large dry-packed sea scallops, about 1 3/4–2 lb, side muscles removed
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Pat the scallops very dry. Place on a paper-towel-lined tray and refrigerate uncovered for 20 minutes while preparing the vegetables.
2. Heat a large stainless-steel or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the scallops dry again, then season with salt and pepper immediately before cooking.
3. Add 1 tablespoon ghee. When shimmering, add half the scallops with at least an inch between them. Sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes, until the undersides have a deep golden crust and release readily.
4. Turn and cook another 1–2 minutes, depending on thickness. The sides should be opaque and the centers just set and moist; for a conservative food-safety endpoint, cook to 145°F at the center.
5. Transfer to a warm plate without tightly covering. Repeat with the remaining ghee and scallops, reducing the heat if the pan begins to smoke heavily. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Choose scallops labeled dry-packed or untreated. Phosphate-treated scallops release water and are much harder to brown.
• Use two skillets if available so all four portions finish together.

Glossy Spring Vegetable Medley

Brief blanching keeps the green vegetables bright, while gently sautéed spring onions and turnips give the medley sweetness and depth. A small amount of broth and butter creates enough light pan sauce to spoon over the scallops.

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup shelled English peas
• 3/4 cup peeled fava beans, from about 1 1/2 lb whole pods
• 4 small baby turnips, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 3 spring onions, white and tender green parts sliced
• 1/2 small bunch Swiss chard, stems finely sliced and leaves roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1/2 cup gluten-free vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp finely sliced chives
• to taste kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. If starting with whole fava pods, shell them. Blanch the beans in boiling salted water for 1 minute, cool in ice water, and slip off the thick outer skins. Measure 3/4 cup peeled beans.
2. Return the blanching water to a boil. Cook the asparagus for 1–2 minutes and the peas for 1–2 minutes, just until bright green and barely tender. Transfer to ice water, then drain thoroughly.
3. Heat the ghee in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add the spring onions, turnips, chard stems, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the onions soften without deeply browning.
4. Add the broth, cover, and simmer for 2–3 minutes, until the turnips are just tender. Uncover and add the chard leaves; toss until wilted.
5. Add the asparagus, peas, and peeled favas. Toss gently for 1–2 minutes to heat through. Leave a few tablespoons of liquid in the pan, adding a splash of water if needed.
6. Lower the heat and swirl in the cold butter to make the juices glossy. Fold in the lemon juice, parsley, and chives. Taste for salt, pepper, and acidity, then spoon some of the onion-rich juices over the scallops when serving.

Notes

• Frozen peas and peeled frozen favas work well; thaw before adding and heat only until tender.
• Keep the finished vegetables off the heat while the scallops sear, then warm briefly and add the butter, lemon, and herbs just before serving.
• Fava beans are unsuitable for people with G6PD deficiency; omit them or use additional peas.

Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

A hot oven and uncrowded sheet pans give the sweet potatoes browned edges while keeping their interiors tender. Cutting them relatively thin matches the curled, rustic fries on the plate.

Ingredients

• 2 lb orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, scrubbed, skin left on
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• to finish flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Set out two large rimmed sheet pans.
2. Cut the sweet potatoes lengthwise into irregular fries about 1/3 inch thick. Dry well, then toss with the olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.
3. Spread across the pans in a single layer with space between the pieces. Roast for 15 minutes, then turn the fries and rotate the pans.
4. Roast for another 15–20 minutes, removing thinner pieces early if needed. Look for browned edges and tender centers rather than uniformly dark fries.
5. Finish with a little flaky salt and serve hot, keeping them separate from the vegetable juices.

Notes

• Sweet potato fries soften as they stand; leave them uncovered and give them 2–3 minutes back in the hot oven if dinner is delayed.

Overall Timing / Workflow

The fries occupy the oven while the vegetables are prepared, leaving the final few minutes free for searing scallops.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Heat the oven, dry and refrigerate the scallops, and cut the sweet potatoes.
2. 0:10 — Put the fries in the oven. Prepare the favas, asparagus, peas, turnips, onions, and chard.
3. 0:25 — Turn the fries and rotate the pans. Blanch and drain the green vegetables.
4. 0:30 — Start the spring onion, turnip, and chard mixture. Warm serving plates.
5. 0:40 — Finish heating the vegetables, then set aside before adding the butter and herbs. Check the fries and remove when browned.
6. 0:40–0:50 — Sear the scallops in batches or in two skillets. Briefly warm the medley and finish with butter, lemon, and herbs. Plate immediately.

Plating

Keeping the fries out of the vegetable juices preserves their browned edges, while the scallops benefit from a little of the glossy onion-and-herb finish.

Instructions

1. Arrange the spring vegetables along one side of each warm plate.
2. Place four scallops beside the vegetables, browned faces up. Spoon a little of the vegetable pan juices and softened onions around and lightly over them without covering the crusts.
3. Pile the sweet potato fries on the opposite side, away from the pooled juices, and serve immediately.

Leftover Path

Separate storage allows the fries to re-crisp and protects the scallops from repeated high-heat cooking.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate scallops, vegetables, and fries in separate airtight containers within 2 hours. Eat the scallops preferably the next day and the vegetables and fries within 3 days.
2. Reheat the fries in a 425°F oven or air fryer for 5–8 minutes, until hot and browned at the edges.
3. Warm the vegetables gently in a covered skillet with a splash of water. Add sliced scallops at the end and heat only until hot; for standard leftover food-safety guidance, reheat to 165°F, recognizing that the scallops will become firmer.
4. Alternatively, serve the chilled scallops and vegetables as a lemony salad the next day, with the reheated fries alongside.