Ingredients

4 scallop shells or oven-safe plates

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large shallot, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

1/3 cup juice from preserved lemons (preserved lemons are available from kalustyans.com and some specialty stores) or dry white wine

1 pound fresh bay scallops

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup all-prupose flour

1 tablespoon rind from preserved lemon, minced

Preparation

  1. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place scallop shells or oven-safe plates on a baking sheet and warm in oven.

  2. In a sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add shallot, garlic and all but two tablespoons of the parsley and sauté for 2 minutes. Add preserved lemon juice or wine and simmer over medium heat for 1 minute. Set aside.

  3. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper to taste. Place flour on a large plate and dredge scallops in it. Shake scallops to remove excess flour.

  4. In a very large sauté pan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter over high heat until it begins to sizzle. Add scallops in one layer, leaving at least a finger’s width between them. Allow scallops to brown lightly on one side without moving them, then flip. Do not cook for more than 1 minutes on each side.

  5. Once scallops are golden, add butter-shallot mixture to pan. Heat for a few seconds, then finish scallops with a sprinkling of preserved lemon rind and remaining parsley. Serve scallops immediately in heated shells or on plates.