Name: Seared Scallops with savory vanilla butter sauce
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons chopped shallots or green onions, including some green parts; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 3 tablespoons olive oil; Chopped fresh chives, for garnish; Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper; Fresh lemon juice, to taste; 1 pound (455 g) large sea scallops, (8/10 size) side muscle removed; ⅔ cup (165 ml) heavy cream; One 3-inch (7.5-cm) vanilla bean, split lengthwise; 1 cup (240 ml) dry white wine, such as Chardonnay; 3 cups (720 ml) chicken stock or fish stock; ½ cup (30 g) sliced mushrooms

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood

By John Ash

Published 2023

About

We usually think of vanilla in context with sweets but it’s also delicious used in savory dishes. Here, we’ve used it with scallops, but try it with any simply cooked fish or even boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Ingredients

Vanilla Butter Sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chopped shallots or green onions, including some green parts

Method

To make the sauce, in a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft but not browned. Add the stock and wine, increase the heat to high, and cook to reduce the liquid by half, about 5 minutes.

Add the cream and vanilla bean and cook to reduce again to a light sauce consistency. Strain though a fine-mesh sieve set over a