I am always a yes for nutty brown butter and these scallops are a staple in our house for romantic evenings for two or as an appetizer for an intimate dinner party. The tart lemon and briny salty capers balance and highlight the sweet richness of the scallops. I love to serve them on a half shell if you can find them or shell shaped dishware makes for beautiful presentation too.

Serves 4

Mis en Place

12 Large Sea Scallops

6 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter

1 Lemon

3 Tbsp. Capers

Coarse Salt

Black Pepper

Method

Step 1

Remove skin of lemon with a vegetable peeler into wide strips.

Cut lemon in half and juice one half. Set aside.

Step 2

Pat scallops dry with paper towel and season both sides with salt and a light crack of fresh black pepper.

Step 3

Melt butter in a large skillet over high heat. Brown butter carefully.

Once the butter has turned a light brown, carefully place scallops in the pan.

Add capers and lemon peels.

Cook until the scallops have browned nicely on both sides, roughly 2 minutes per side.

Step 4

Remove the pan from the heat and drizzle reserved lemon juice over top.

Serve immediately, generously spooning the brown butter and capers over top.